LIBRARY OF CONGRESS. 






UNITED STATES OF A5IEEICA. 




Wo: 
P 



PRACTICAL TRAINING 



OF THE 



Shepherd Dog^ 



A FEW CHAPTERS ON DOGS IN GENERAL, 
AND THE COLLIE IN PARTICULAR, 



Suggestions to Stockmen for the Protection of their Flocks, Etc. 



V BY 

p W. A. WICKHAI 

} \^ C^ TIPTON, low A<^s^^'QOPYR'GHr 

V 



ILLUSTRATED 




Men are gods to dogs, and they serve their deities with a faithfulness that 
shames us. 



— close beside him, in the snow, 
Poor Yarrow, partner of their woe, 
Crouches upon his master's breast, 
And licks his cheek to break his rest. 

—ScoU. 



3 fA^ 



COPYRIGHT, 1891, 
By W. a. WICKHAM. 



r 




To the stockmen of the United States, scattered far and wide 
over our grand prairies and majestic mountain-sides, from the 
mighty roaring Atlantic to the low-murmuring waters of the placid 
Pacific, from the storm-swept northern lakes to the sea-girt shores 
of the sunny South, this work is respectfully dedicated. 




pre:face:. 



TJAVING been a breeder of Collies for a number of years, and 
having numerous inquiries from patrons and friends for 
practical training instructions, which I could not supply on account 
of being unable to find a practical work on the subject, I have 
endeavored to supply a long-felt want by presenting the present 
work. I do so in the hope it may prove of service to those hav- 
ing the handling and training of Shepherd Dogs. I can assure 
my readers that if they will only take the trouble, and are 
possessed of patience and perseverance, and will faithfully carry 
out these instructions, they can not fail to be the happy possessor 
of a faithful and devoted servant and friend. In my remarks on 
dogs in general, I have endeavored to make it as interesting as 
the somewhat limited space would admit. I have quoted from 
the best ancient and modern writers and poets, and have also 
made extracts from the standard work of Youatt. 

W. A. W. 

Tipton, Iowa, February, 1891. 



CONTENTS. 



CHAPTER I. 

OUR FRIEND, THE DOG. 

History of the canine race — Our present breeds of dogs —The 
dog the only animal capable of disinterested affection — Scrip- 
tural allusion — The Egyptian's veneration for the dog — The 
dog as an animal of draught — The preserver of human life — 
How a gentleman was saved from drowning by a Newfound- 
land dog — The Newfoundland dog Bruno— Watch and the 
minister — The mastiff: dog — A faithful watch-dog — The St. 
Bernards — The dog of Mary, Queen of Scots — Dogs of the 
French army — The poodle dog — The bloodhound — The Scotch 
staghound — The English deerhound — The St. Hubert breed — 
The foxhound — Dogs' usefulness to man — Ulysses and his dog 
Argus — The faithful Gelert — A pointer dog — The deacon 
and his setter dog — Courtney Langdon's love for dogs — 
Friendship existing between dogs — The faithful wolf-hound — 
Influence of climate on the form and character of the dog — 
The bulldog — The wild dog — The source from which the 
different breeds of dogs sprang 15 



Vlll CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER II. 

THE SHEPHERD DOG. 

Reputation of the shepherd dog — His aptitude for his duties 
Description of the French shepherd dog — Origin of the old 
English sheep-dog — Earliest work on the subject written in 
the English language— The opinion of Youatt, Richardson 
and Dr. Kerr on this breed of dogs— Size of the English sheep- 
dog—Where he originated — Where he is most used at the 
present time — Not suitable for a household pet — The Spanish 
shepherd dog —Their use as defenders and watch-dogs — Their 
faithfulness illustrated by an anecdote— The shepherd dog 
Montague — Dogs used for bad purposes— The Mexican sheep- 
dog — Serious injury to sheep from badly trained dogs — The 
instinct, sagacity and fidelity of the shepherd dog — Buffon's 
account of the sheep-dog — An interesting account of the shep- 
herd's dog as given by Taplin in the Sportsman'' s Cabinet 43 



CHAPTER III. 

THE FASHIONABLE COLLIE. 

Five distinct breeds of shepherd dogs — The Collie regarded as 
the best — His place of nativity — His companions — Mongrel 
Collies— The origin and history of the Collie— Dr. Alexander 
Stewart's opinion— Fingal's dog Bran— Dogs deemed worthy 
of notice in the olden time — The sagacity of the Collie — How 
they are valued in their native country — The Ettrick shep- 
herd's opinion of what a Collie can do— The shepherd Collin 



CONTEXTS. ' IX 

and his dosf — Collin's sorrow at the death of his dog— The 
value of a well-trained Collie — Their work in the wild moor- 
lands of Scotland — Sir Walter Scott's description of the life 
of a Scotch shepherd — Mr. Hogg describes the difference 
between the Collie sheep-dog and the cottager's Collie — The 
bench-show Collie — Breeding for show alone has a deteriora- 
ting influence — Means whereby the Collie may be improved 
in appearance and still retain his working qualities — What 
the English Kennel Gazette says on the subject — The coat of 
the Collie of great importance — Color oB the Collie — Original 
color of the Collie — In regard to crossing the Collie with the 
Gordon setter — Hunting dogs improved by being crossed with 
the Collie — The Collie a pure breed— Story of the Scotch 
shepherd on the hillside — The English champion Collie Kut- 
land — Value of color in the Collie— Fashionable colors — 
White Collies— Collie presented to Queen A^ictoria — The 
Queen a lover of dogs — General appearance of the Collie — 
His motion or action — Cunningness of the Collie — Appear- 
ance of the Collie as found among the sheep of Scotland —His 
services indispensable — Collies in Australia— The Collie as a 
companion — The Collie on the range, in the city and in his 
native home — The most fashionable dog in England — The 
coming dog of America — Closing remarks — Burns' description 
of his dog Luath — Description of illustrations — Sensational 
prices — Champion Charlemagne — Champion Rutland — 
Champion Eclipse — Champion Peggie IT. and other noted 
Collies — Their winnings, prices, etc 5.3 



X CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER IV. 

TRAINING SHEPHERD DOGS — HOUSE OR YARD TRAINING. 

Remarks on training — The shepherd dog — The first step in the 
direction of training — Advantage of selecting a young 
puppy — The collar and chain — Time and place suitable for 
training — To teach him to come in — The check cord — In- 
structing the pup to lie down — The term ''Speak" How to 
teach this useful accomplishment — Rewards — A puppy's 
knowledge of language — The whistle — How to teach him to 
obey the commands "Stop," ''Steady," "Hie on" — The 
term "Over," so necessary in the field, can be taught when 
the puppy is quite young ; how to do it — Instruction in walk- 
ing to heel — Difference of opinion in regard to early train- 
ing — Concluding remarks on yard-training. 71 



CHAPTER V. 

TRAINING SHEPHERD DOGS — PRACTICAL FIEI.D WORK. 

Introductory remarks on field-training — Different modes of 
training — The disposition of the dog to be considered — An 
enforcement of prompt obedience— How to correct heedless- 
. ness in a young dog — Rules to be observed in training a dog — 
Qualities that should be possessed by the trainer — The dog's 
behavior when under correction — One cause why so many 
dogs are made unfit for work — The term "Come in" — To 
teach the dog to drive — The command "Hie on" — Training 
to hand signals — To teach the word " Steady" — The use of 



CONTENTS. XI 

the check cord — At what time to train the dog in the higher 
branches of field work — Best position for the flock in order 
to expedite the training — To teach him to "speak" to 
them — to be quiet when bid — To train him to pass up the 
side of the flock — The term ' ' Up, away up ' — To bring the 
dog to the head of the flock, and pass around the other side — 
To " come in" — Rewards — The feat an experienced Collie 
will perform— To teach the dog to gather a scattered flock — 
The term "Around them" — To teach the dog the term 
''Back, away back" — To teach him to stay at any desired 
point alone — The term " Stop " or ''Lie down '' — To teach the 
dog to cross fence in order to go to the head of the flock —To 
train him to take the flock safely past gateways, openings in fen- 
ces etc. — To teach him to " hold " the flock when necessary — 
" Hold front"— "Hold right "—'• Hold left "—To teach the 
dog to drive alone while the shepherd goes to the head of the 
flock — To teach the dog to bring the sheep out of corners 
when they face the dog and refuse to budge — To teach him 
to bring the flock to you or fetch them home — The result of a 
want of uniformity in training terms — Difference of opinion 
in regard to training pups with an experienced dog — Our in- 
structions sufficient without this aid, but the labor lessened 
if it is found convenient to call in the services of an expert 
dog — How to train the pup in connection with another dog — 
Rules to be observed when the dog is to be trained for work 
on both cattle and sheep — To teach him to fetch the cows 
from the pasture- -To put them in different stalls — The shep- 
herd dog should not be allowed to hunt — Teaching an old 
dog — Time required for training a dog — Causes of failure in 
training dogs successfully — How to inflict punishment when 
it is found necessary — Concluding remarks 79 



CONTENTS. 



CHAPTER VI. 

COLLIE ANECDOTES. 

Mr. James Hogg, the Ettrick shepherd, gives an interesting ac- 
count of his dog Sirrah — Astonishment of Mr. Eiissell at 
the intelligence of a Collie he saw in Scotland — A faithful 
Collie who died at his post of duty rather than desert his 
charge — How a Collie drove a flock of sheep a distance of 175 
miles without assistance and without losing a single sheep — 
How a Collie performed the duties which had previously 
employed two men — An interesting incident illustrating the 
memory of the dog — How a dishonest cattle-dealer Avas re- 
buked by a dog — A few instances in which the Collie has 
been useful in other ways besides the care of flocks and herds — 
How the mail was carried regularly a distance of nearly four 
miles over almost impassable mountains by the faithful Col- 
lie Dorsey — A Collie's intelligence and usefulness in a 
time of sickness — How a young man's life was saved by his 
favorite Collie — Wonderful tricks performed by Mr. Harris' 
Collie dog Boz — A Collie retriever — The Collie's antipa- 
thy to cats illustrated by an anecdote 91 



CONTENTS. :s 

CHAPTER VI J. 

A PLEA FOR THE DOG. 

Good qualities of the dog— Canine pets —The dog one of man's 
best friends— The dog's duties— The terrier— Even the 
friendless cur not entirely worthless— The faithful watch- 
dog — Coxie on the dog's reasoning powers — Sir Walter Scott 
and his dogs— Man's just affection for the dog— Shakespeare's 
language to Desdemona ; its relation to the dog — The society 
of dogs — Concluding plea c 



99 



CHAPTER VIII. 

SUGGESTIONS TO STOCKMEN. 

The wolf problem — Hounds can be used to advantage by stock- 
men in the care of their flocks — They must be accustomed to 
the sheep when young — How a sheep-breeder uses them to 
advantage — The wolf's teeth too sharp for the shepherd dog — 
Hounds protect the flock from strange dogs —What kind of 
hounds to use — Sheep-bells a protection to the flock — A shep- 
herd's experience in regard to bells — Cattle a protection to 
sheep from the ravages of dogs and wolves — The cunningness 
of the wolf— The result of keeping goats with sheep — The 
situation of a farmer who attempts to keep sheep without a 
shepherd dog — How to obtain a good dog — The Collie used 
more than any other breed of shepherd dogs— -Raising dogs 
with sheep ; how it is done — How to prevent dogs from kill- 
ing sheep 10' 



CHAPTER I. 

OUR FRIEND THE DOG. 

" Let Hercules himself do what he may, 
The Cat will Mew, and Dog will have his Day." 

—Hamlet, Act v., Scene 1. 

A faint, wailing cry, like that of a young child, breaks the still- 
ness, which is only disturbed by the rustling of the leaves and the 
twittering of the birds, and the hunter, after one quick glance at 
the undergrowth at his feet, glances apprehensively in every di- 
rection to see if the mother is near to answer the call. And al- 
though the hunter takes the young panther cubs to his cabin, he 
always watches them for the first symptom of treachery, for he too 
well knows that they are indeed fera naturce (wild by nature), and 
can never be brought to look upon man as their master and friend. 
How different is the dog ! Although abused from the time he 
takes his initial journey as a sleek, fat, good-natured puppy,^ until, 
as a lean, gaunt, hungry, ill-favored cur, he slinks behind his mas- 
ter's heels, he is always faithful in his allegiance, and devoted to 
his friendship. 

The history of the canine race is as old as that of man, as far as 
we know. The oldest geological traces of the abode of man which 
have been discovered, also contain the bony reminders of his ever 
faithful companion, the dog. Wife, friends and loved ones may 
have deserted him, but the fare has never been so hard, the de- 
pravity never so great, as to cause this faithful friend to desert its 
master. We believe that the life history of the canine is coeval with 
that of the human race, so intimate are the relations between these 
two species of the animal kingdom. It is meet that this should be 
so, for do they not represent the highest phase of intellectual de- 

( 15 ) 



16 OUR miEND THE DOG. 

velopment and mutual attachment of which we have any exam- 
ple between any two varieties of the mammalian animals ? 

With poetic license, a Vedic writer in the " Zend Avesta" said, 
thousands of years ago: ''That through the intelligence of the 
dog the world existed." A German writer expresses the value 
of the dog thus : "A good falcon, a speedy horse, a noble dog, 
are more than twenty women worth." 

While we can not express our love and admiration of the canine 
race in the extravagant language which usage allows the poet, 
still we venture to assert that notwithstanding the almost univer- 
sal attachment which mankind feels for the dog, but few men 
know of the immense debt which the human owes the canine race. 
The firm believer in the biblical history of creation would be al- 
most justified in asserting that, beyond all our domestic animals, the 
dog was made for man. 

Dr. Billings says that "the affectionate devotion of our canine 
friends is one of the most wonderful of all their attributes, but still 
more so is the fact that it has not been won from them through pun- 
ishment and fear, but is the result of the gradual development of 
trust and affection through centuries of contact. Hence we may 
assume that the wild progenitors of our present dogs were first con- 
quered through kindness, and their confidence won by the display 
of sympathy on the part of man." 

"May we not allow our minds to wander back to our primeval 
ancestors, living their simple lives in huts or caves, and with the 
mind's eye see some poor broken-down wolf or jackal finding its 
way into these human abodes, or picked up by some sympathetic 
person, its wounds dressed, its body nurtured, its shyness and 
fierceness, at first depressed by weakness, finally subdued by kind- 
ness, which rewarded its benefactor with the devotion of a life, 
thus teaching man the value of its species, and the lesson which 
has made the dog the friend of our sick-bed, the companion of the 
fireside and camp-fire, the watchful guardian of our race, whether 
found under Afric's scorching sun or on the frozen fields of the 
Northland ? It matters not where man has wandered, could we 
with Indian instinct trace those tracks we should ever see the im- 
print of his faithful friend accompanying his own." That man ap- 



OUR FRIEND THE DOG. 17 

predated this attachment, in what to us is a very early period of 
our history, is most touchingly shown in Edwin Arnold's transla- 
tion of the '^ Great Journey from the Mahal-harata, " which for 
want of space we omit. 

Pallas asserts that " the origin of the dog is to be sought in 
the taming and interbreeding of the various species of wolf in dif- 
ferent lands." 

Certain it is, the originals of any of our present dogs are buried 
in prehistoric darkness. There is no doubt that our present breeds 
of dogs have been obtained by some system of selection instituted 
by man, which was not altogether the result of accident. 

The most ancient records which we have, such as the figures on 
the Egyptian pyramids, have representations of dogs that do not 
differ from those still living in that country in any remarkable de- 
gree, and so of Koman, Greek, Phoenician and other carvings. 

Taking for granted the story related by Herodotus (verified by 
Le Plongeon, the archaeological explorer), that the priests of Egypt 
told him of the migrations of the Egyptians from the East to the 
Nile country ten thousand years before their time, there is a vast 
period of mysterious silence that must be charged to man, but 
"dead men tell no tales," and the records of the earlier days of 
the human race are, with those of all of our other domestic animals, 
particularly of the dog, buried behind the veil of prehistoric 
darkness. 

I must say that it appears to me an inexcusable neglect on the 
part of scientists and intelligent breeders of dogs, that notwith- 
standing the many dog books that have been written, notwith- 
standing the fact that several breeds have been established in 
what we may call modern times — i. e., during the last two or three 
centuries — still we have no record of the crosses by which they were 
obtained. 

Mr. Ballou says : "In tracing the origin of the dog and cat he has 
examined all the books and data back to Herodotus in vain. The 
animals soon got lost in obscurity, but students agree that the an- 
cestors were once wild like man." Still it is as true, as if recorded, 
that the subjection of what we call the animal world to the human, 
bore direct relation to the tamableness of the differer.t species, 
2 



18 OUR FRIEND THE DOG. 

and their adaptability to the developing intellect and increasing 
will power of the human. 

Man has made the dog as we know him, as he has also made our 
other domestic animals from wild progenitors. The improvement 
in the breeds and characteristics of our domestic animals is in di- 
rect ratio to the intellectual ascent of the human race ; or, in 
more commonplace language, the history of the improvement in 
our domestic animals is the counterpart of the same thing in man. 
This is more strictly the case with regard to the dog than any other 
animal. 

It is impossible to fix the epoch when the dog became the ser- 
vant of man. The oldest traditions, the most ancient historical 
documents, show us the dog reduced to a state of domesticity. 
Thus it may be said that the dog forms an integral part of man- 
kind. The dog possesses all the qualities of intelligence and spirit. 
Where can we find a more certain, more constant, or more devoted 
friendship, a more faithful memory, a stronger attachment, more 
sincere abnegation, a mind more loyal and frank ? The dog does 
not know what ingratitude is. He does not abandon his benefac- 
tor in danger or adversity. With joy he offers to sacrifice his life 
for those who feed him. He pushes his devotion so far as to for- 
get himself. He does not recall the corrections, the unkind treat- 
ment, to which he has been subjected ; he thirsts for caresses, 
while the indifference of those who are dear to hini plunges him 
into deep distress. Noble creature ! the favorite of the rich, con- 
solation of the poor, inseparable companion of the unfortunate ; 
thanks to thee, the miserable individual who dies alone in the 
midst of society counts at least one friend. And what intelli- 
gence ! what penetration! what finesse is there in this admirable 
companion of our gladness and sorrow ! How well he can read 
countenances ; how skillfully he knows how to interpret the senti- 
ments conveyed in gestures and words ! In vain you may threaten, 
in vain try to frighten him. Your eye betrays you ; that smile, 
which scarcely appears upon your lips, has unmasked your feelings ; 
and so far from fearing and avoiding you, he comes to solicit your 
attention. 

"Next to the human being, the dog ranks highest in the scale of 
intelligence, and was evidently designed to be the companion of 



OUR FRIEND THE DOG. 19 

man," says Youatt. We exact the services of other animals, and, 
the task being finished, we dismiss them to their accustomed food 
and rest ; but several of the varieties of the dog follow us to our 
homes ; they are connected with many of our pleasures and wants, 
and guard our sleeping hours. 

The first animal of domestication, of which we have any ac- 
count, was the sheep. " Abel was a keeper of sheep." It is diffi- 
cult to believe that any long time would pass before the dog — who 
now, in every part of the world, is the companion of the shepherd 
and the director or guardian of the sheep — would be established in 
the service of man. In the process of time man began to sur- 
round himself with many servants from among the lower animals, 
but among them all he had only one friend — the dog — one animal 
whose services were voluntary, and who was susceptible of disin- 
terested affection and gratitude. 

In every country and in every time there has existed between 
man and the dog a connection different from that which is observed 
between him and any other animal. The ox and the sheep sub- 
mit to our control, but their affections are principally, if not solely, 
confined to themselves. They submit to us, but they can rarely 
be said to love, or even to recognize us, except as connected with 
the supply of their wants. 

The horse will share some of our pleasures. He enjoys the 
chase as much as does his rider, and when contending for victory 
on the course, he feels the full influence of emulation. Remem- 
bering the pleasures he has experienced with his master, or the 
supply of food from the groom, he often exhibits evident tokens 
of recognition ; but they are founded on a selfish principle — he 
neighs that he may be fed, and his affections are easily transferred. 

The dog is the only animal that is capable of disinterested af- 
fection. He is the only one that regards the human being as his 
companion, and follows him as his friend ; the only one that 
seems to possess a natural desire to be useful to him. We take 
the bridle from the horse and turn him free into the pasture, and 
he testifies his joy at his partially recovered liberty. 

We exact from the dog the services required of him, and he fol- 
lows us. He solicits to be continued as our companion and our 



20 OUR FRIEND THE DOG. 

friend. As from instinct, the dog abandons his own race and as- 
sociates himself entirely with man as his best friend ; arid no 
cause, however great, is sufficient, in his estimation, to break asun- 
der these voluntary ties or destroy this beloved connection. He 
asks a trifle for his proffered services : a kind word, an occasional 
smile, a fragment of our abundance, or a mere mite of our pov- 
erty, is all that he requires. The extremes of luxury or indigence 
are alike the same to him, so long as he is suffered to enjoy the 
companionship and kindness of his allotted master, let him be a 
prince or a beggar. For his master alone he leaps for joy when 
spoken to ; on him alone he fondles when caressed, but for him 
alone he grieves when absent, exults at his return, and even in 
the sadness of his heart he pines away over his deserted grave. 

" Dark green was that spot, 'mid the brown mountain heather, 

Where the pilgrim of nature lay stretched in decay : 
Like the corpse of an outcast, abandoned to weather. 

Till the mountain winds wasted the tenantless clay; 
Nor yet quite deserted, though lonely extended, 

For, faithful in death, his mute favorite attended, 
The much-loved remains of her master defended, 

And chased the hill-fox and the raven away. 
How long didst thou think that his silence was slumber? 

When the wind waved his garments how oft didst thou start? 
How many long days and long nights didst thou number 

Ere he faded before thee, the friend of thy heart?"- 

Astonishment is sometimes expressed that in both the Old and 
New Testament the dog is spoken of with abhorrence. One great 
object in the institution of the Jewish ritual was to preserve the 
Israelites from the idolatry which prevailed among every people, 
although a few years after their escape from the Egyptians it ap- 
pears they worshiped the golden calf, during the temporary ab- 
sence of their leader.f 

The Jews considered the dog an unclean beast, and wherever 
the Jewish religion spread, or its. traditions are believed, this dis- 

- Note.— A young man lost his life by falling from one of the prec- 
ipices of the Helvellyn Mountains. Three months afterwards his 
remains were discovered at the bottom of a ravine, and his faith- 
ful dog, almost a skeleton, still guarding them. Sir Walter Scott 
beautifully describes the scene as above. 

fExodus xxxii. 



OUR FRIEND THE DOG. 21 

like of the dog continues to the present dav. This accounts for 
the singular fact that even so useful an animal as the dog failed to 
be well spoken of by Jewish writers. In the whole of the Jewish 
history there is not a single allusion to hunting with dogs. Men- 
tion is made of nets and snares, but the dog seems to have been 
never used in the pursuit of game. Dr. Tristram, in his ''Natural 
History of the Bible," says: "The Jews were not a hunting people.'" 

Dogs were held in considerable veneration by the Egyptians. 
Figures of dogs appeared on the friezes of most of the temples,* 
and they were regarded as emblems of the divine Being. Herod- 
otus, speaking of the sanctity in which some animals were held 
by the Egyptians, says that the people of every family in which a 
dog died, shaved themselves— their expression of mourning— and 
he adds, "This was a custom existing in his own time." 

The cause of this attachment to and veneration for the dog is, 
however, explained in a far more probable and pleasing way than 
many of the fables of ancient mythology. The prosperity of 
Lower Egypt, and almost the very subsistence of its inhabitants, 
depended on the annual overflowing of the Xile ; and they looked 
for it with the utmost anxiety. Its approach was announced by 
the appearance of a certain star— Sirius. As soon as that star was 
seen above the horizon, they hastened to remove their flocks to the 
higher ground and abandoned the lower pastures to the fertilizing 
influence of the stream. They hailed it as their guard and pro- 
tector, and, associating with its apparent watchfulness the weU- 
known fidelity of the dog, they called it the "dog-star," and they 
worshiped it. 

The dog soon came to be regarded as the god of the river, and 
the people represented this god with the body of a man and the 
head of a dog. This river god was also caUed Anubis, and its im- 
age was placed in all the temples of Egypt. Juvenal writes : 
" Whole cities worship the dog ; not one, Diana." The dog was 
worshiped in all the towns of Egypt, and a city was built in his 
honor, and there the priests celebrated its festivals with great 

'•;Ia some of Belzoni's beautiful sketches of the frieze work of the 
old ii,gyptian temples, the dog appears, with his long ears and broad 
muzzle, not unlike the old Talbot hound. 



22 OUR FRIEND THE DOG. 

pomp. Lucan says : '' Weliave received into our Roman temples 
thine Isis and divinities half dog." The Egyptian dog was deemed 
worthy of special embalment and honorable sepulture followed 
by processions of white-robed priests, with their images of dog- 
headed gods and singing of the choirs of Isis, from the temple gates 
to the catacombs under the rocks. The popularity of the dog trav- 
eled rapidly westward, and the worship of the dog god was soon in- 
termingled with the religious rites and ceremonies of other nations. 
The tire-worshipers of Persia paid divine honors to the dog, and 
he is still held in deep veneration by the modern Parsees. 

The first hint of the employment of the dog in the pursuit of 
other animals is given by Oppian in his Cynegeticus, who attrib- 
utes it to Pollux, about two hundred years after the promulgation 
of the Levitical law. 

Among the savage dogs of ancient times were the Hyrcanian, 
said, on account of their extreme ferocity, to have been crossed 
with the tiger ; the Locrian, chiefly employed in hunting the 
boar ; the Pannonian, used in war as well as in the chase, and by 
whom the first charge on the enemy was always made ; and the 
Molossian, of Epirus, likewise trained to war as well as to the 
honors of the amphitheatre and the dangers of the chase. This 
last breed had one redeeming quality — an inviolable attachment to 
their owners. This attachment was reciprocal ; for it is said that 
the Molossi used to weep over their faithful quadruped compan- 
ions slain in war. 

Of all the dogs of the ancients, those bred on the continent of 
Epirus were the most esteemed, and more particularly those from 
a southern district called Molossia, from which they received their 
name. These animals are described as being of enormous size, 
great courage and powerful make. The Molossian dogs were at a 
later period much esteemed by the Eomans as watch-dogs, not 
only of their dwellings, but also to guard their flocks against the 
incursions of wild animals. jElian relates that one of them, and 
his owner, so much distinguished themselves at the battle of Mara- 
thon, that the eflSgy of the dog was placed on the same tablet with 
that of his master. 

Soon after Britain was discovered, a variety of this class, but as 
large and as ferocious, was employed to guard the sheep and- cattle, 



OUR FRIEND THE DOG. .23 

or to watch at the door of the house, or to follow the owner on 
any excursion of business or pleasure. 

As an animal of draught the dog is highly useful in some coun- 
tries. What would become of the inhabitants of the northern 
regions, if the dog were not harnessed to the sledge, and the Lap- 
lander, and the Greenlander, and the Kamtschatkan drawn, and 
not unfrequently at the rate of nearly a hundred miles a day, over 
the snowy wastes ? In Newfoundland, the timber, one of the most 
important articles of commerce, is drawn to the water-side by the 
docile but ill-used dog. 

If people would treat their dogs as kindly as the Dutch and Bel- 
gians do, we should have no need to brand as cruel and brutal the 
custom of putting dogs in harness. From the earliest known his- 
tory the dog was the protector of the habitation of the human be- 
ing. At the feet of the lares, those household deities who were 
supposed to protect the abode of men, the figure of a barking dog 
was often placed. In every age and almost in every part of the 
globe, he has played a principal part in the labors, the dangers 
and the pleasures of the chase. 

In another and very important particular — as the preserver of 
human life — the history of the dog will be most interesting. We 
recall several instances of rescue from drowning by Newfound- 
lands ; of defense against highwaymen by mastiffs ; of travelers 
dragged by the noble St. Bernard from a snowy bed, where they 
sank down to a fatal slumber which they could not shake off, and in- 
stance after instance where the noble dog, finding himself power- 
less to help his loved master, has gone and procured aid in time. 

The Newfoundland dog is truly the friend of man. At all times 
the sagacious animal is ready to help and succor him in danger. 
A gentleman bathing in the sea at Portsmouth was in danger of 
being drowned. Help was loudly called for, but no boat was 
ready, and though many persons were looking on, none could be 
found to rescue the drowning man, until at last a Newfoundland 
dog rushed into the sea and brought the gentleman safe to land. 
He afterward purchased the dog for a large sum, and treated him 
with great kindness as long as he lived. 

A story is told of a Newfoundland dog named Bruno. The wri- 
ter says : ''He is always.'ready for a merry romp with the children ; 



24 OUR FRIEND THE DOG. 

he will submit, without any show of anger, to all the tortures that 
they unwittingly inflict upon him. Many a time have I seen him 
in winter, when the snow was packed hard, go dashing down the 
street drawing a sled, upon which was a boy or two firmly grasping 
him by the tail. As they flew along he would bark a joyous ac- 
companiment to the shouts of the children. No child ever loved 
to play 'blind man's buff' more dearly than he, and he is always 
a welcome companion. lie will stand patiently wagging his tail, 
waiting for the handkerchief to be adjusted over his eyes, and, 
when it is announced that all is ready, he will cock up his ears and 
listen for the faintest sound to indicate the whereabouts of his 
playmates. A faint titter, the rustling of a dress, or the tell-tale 
sound of a footstep, will give him his clue, and away he will dash, 
with a bark of joy, in pursuit. Now the fun is fast and furious, 
and agile and noiseless must be the child that escapes him, for his 
keen nose and sharp ears make him a formidable one to evade. 
When at last he catches some one, he is always careful not to be 
too rough, and no child stands in fear of him on these occasions. 
How dearly the children love to engage him in a game of hide and 
seek, and with what earnestness, cunning and industry he will hunt 
until he has succeeded in finding the last one of them. 

"He is passionately fond of the water, and is always perfectly 
happy when some one is throwing sticks for him to retrieve, or 
stones, in water three or four feet deep, for him to dive after. By 
his strength and sagacity he has saved two or three of his child 
companions from drowning. On one occasion his master's little 
sister and another little girl would surely have drowned had it not 
been for hiiu. On another occasion his young master, who was 
swimming in a lake some distance from shore, became wearied and 
alarmed, and cried for help, when the noble dog, who was lying 
on the shore, sprang into the water and swam out to the boy, who, 
taking hold of him, was towed safely to shore, which he 
reached in a very exhausted condition. Thus has he endeared 
himself to his master's family, until nothing is thought to be too 
good for him, and when his final summons comes, and his dog's 
soul takes its flight to the shadowy beyond, he will be deeply and 
sincerely mourned." 



OUR FRIEND THE DOG. 25 

Mr. Tyler, a minister, owned a large Newfoundland dog named 
Watch, and Watch was bent on going to church with Mrs. Tyler. 
She, in her turn, was much opposed to his going, fearing that he 
might excite the mirth of the children. Every Sunday a series of 
maneuvers took place between the two, in which Watch often 
proved himself the keenest. Sometimes he slipped away very 
early, and Mrs. Tyler, after having searched for him to shut him 
up, would go to church and find Watch seated in the family pew, 
looking very grave and decorous, but evidently aware that it was 
too late to turn him out. Sometimes he would hide himself until 
the family had all started for church, and would then follow the 
footsteps of some tardy worshiper who tiptoed in during prayers 
with creaking boots ; and then didn't Watch know that Mrs. Tyler 
would open the pew door in haste, to prevent his whining for ad- 
mission ? When Mr. Tyler became earnest in his appeals, he 
often repeated the same word with a ringing emphasis and a blow 
on the desk cushion that startled the sleepers in the pews. One 
day he thus shouted out, quoting the well-known text, " Watch ! 
Watch! Watch! I say!" When rustle, rustle, bounce, came 
his big dog, almost into his very arms. You may be sure the boys 
all took occasion to relieve their pent-up restlessness by one up- 
roarious laugh, before their astonished parents had time to frown 
them into silence. Honest Watch had been sitting with his eyes 
fixed, as usual, on the minister. At the first mention of his name, 
up went his ears, and his eyes kindled ; at the second, he was still 
more deeply moved ; at the third he obeyed, and flew completely 
over pew-rail and pulpit door, with leaps that did equal honor to 
his muscular powers and his desire to obey. After such a strict 
interpretation of the letter rather than spirit, W^atch was effectu- 
ally forbidden church-going. 

It is probable that the mastiff is an original breed peculiar to 
the British Islands. They are the most faithful and reliable of 
watch-dogs, and, when properly trained, they will in the course of 
the night several times examine everything with which they are 
intrusted, with the most scrupulous care, even more faithfully than 
a human watchman. 

Dr. , of New Jersey, discovered a robber in his house in the 

middle of the night. A terrible encounter took place, but just as 



26 OUR FRIEND THE DOG. 

the doctor was about to succumb, his mastiff dog came to his aid 
and the robber was terribly bitten. The dog saved the doctor's 
life. 

The Hospice of St. Bernard pass was built about the year 962, 
where a temple of Jupiter stood, and was constructed from the 
ruins of the temple. This convent stands 7,668 feet above the 
sea-level, and is undoubtedly the highest inhabited spot in Eu- 
rope. Nine months in the year the snow is thick on the ground, 
and in the very worst part of winter from 1,500 to 2,000 of the 
poor inhabitants of the low countries pass over the mountains. 
Every night the monks send out some o£ their dogs, which are 
trained to search for the benighted and frozen wanderer. Very 
many travelers have been thus rescued from death by these be- 
nevolent men and their intelligent and interesting quadruped serv- 
ants. 

A St. Bernard dog named Barry had a medal tied around his 
neck as a badge of honorable distinction, for he had saved the 
lives of forty persons. He at length died nobly in his vocation. 
A Piedmontese courier arrived at St. Bernard on a very stormy 
day, laboring to make his way to the little village of St. Pierre, 
in the valley beneath the mountain, where his wife and children 
lived. It was in vain that the monks attempted to check his reso- 
lution to reach his family. They at last gave him two guides, 
each of whom was accompanied by a dog, one of which was the 
remarkable creature whose services had been so valuable. De- 
scending from the convent, they were overwhelmed by two ava- 
lanches or heaps of falling snow, and the same destruction awaited 
the family of the poor courier, who were traveling up the moun- 
tain in the hope of obtaining some news of the husband and father. 
A beautiful engraving has been made of this noble dog. It 
represents him as saving a child which he had found in the 
Glacier of Balsore, and cherished, and warmed, and induced to 
climb upon his shoulders, and thus preserved from otherwise cer- 
tain destruction. Barry was vigorous and active at the age of 
fifteen years, although they generally succumb to rheumatism in 
their tenth year. His remains are preserved in the Berne Mu- 
seum, wearing an iron collar with large spikes which had often 



OUK FKIEND THE DOG. 27 

protected him from the wolves. And it is said the remains of this 
noble dog constitute one of the most interesting specimens in the 
Museum. 

It is stated that the favorite lap-dog of Mary, Queen of Scots, 
that accompanied her to the scaffold, continued to caress the body 
after the head was cut off, and refused to relinquish his post till 
forcibly withdrawn, and afterwards died with grief in the course 
of a day or two. 

The following account is also an authentic instance of the incon- 
solable grief displayed by a small dog at the death of his master : 
A poor tailor in the parish of St. OJave, having died, was attended 
to the grave by his dog, who had expressed every token of sorrow 
from the instant of his master's death, and seemed unwilling to 
quit the corpse even for a moment. After the funeral had dis- 
persed, the faithful animal took his station upon the grave, and 
was with great difficulty driven by the sexton from the church 
ground ; on the following day he was again observed lying on the 
grave of his master, and was a second time expelled from the 
premises. Notwithstanding the harsh treatment received on sev- 
eral succeeding days by the hands of the sexton, this little creature 
would persist in occupying this position, and overcame every 
difficulty to gain access to the spot where all he held most dear 
was deposited. The minister of the parish, learning the circum- 
stances of the case, ordered the dog to be carried to his house, 
where he was confined and fed for several days, in hopes of wean- 
ing him by kind treatment to forget his sorrow occasioaed by the 
loss of his master. But all his benevolent efforts were of no 
utility, as the dog availed himself of the first opportunity to escape, 
and immediately repaired to his chosen spot over the grave. 
This worthy clergyman now allowed him to follow the bent of 
his own inclinations ; and, as a recompense for true friendship 
and unfeigned sorrow, had a house built for him over the hallowed 
spot, and daily supplied him with food and water for the space of 
two years, during which time he never wandered from his post, 
but, as a faithful guardian, kept his lonely watch day and night, 
till death at last put an end to his sufferings. 



28 OUR FRIEND THE DOG. 

'Twas his master's grave where he chose to rest- 
He guarded it night and day ; 
The love that glowed in his grateful breast 
For the friend who had fed him and caressed 
Could never fade away. 

And when he struggled with mortal pain, 
And death was by his side, 
With one loud cry, that shook the plain. 
He called for his master— but called in vain ; 
Then stretched himself and died. 

The French army has trained dogs to act as scouts, messengers 
and sentinels. When a dog is on messenger duty he carries dis- 
patches between the main army and the distant outposts, the dis- 
patch being enclosed in a hollow space in the collar. The senti- 
nel dogs are said to scent strangers one hundred yards off, and, 
directly they do so, begin to bark and growl. The training neces- 
sary for the scout is very elaborate, as he has to be taught to 
search fields and thickets, in which soldiers dressed in foreign uni- 
forms are lying in ambush. As soon as the animals find the ene- 
my it is their business to run back to their own friends, and to 
report what they have seen. Owing to their superior intelligence, 
collies and poodles are principally used. 

Probably no dog has ever rendered such signal military service, 
or been so honorably recognized, as the celebrated poodle Mus- 
tache, who shared the victorious fortunes of the French army 
through most of the wars of the Consulate and the French Empire. 
He won special honors at Marengo, and was decorated on the 
battle-field of Austerlitz by Marshal Lannes as a reward for having 
rescued his regimental standard from an Austrian soldier when in 
the act of snatching it from the grasp of the standard-bearer, as he 
fell mortally wounded. The plucky poodle drove off the assail- 
ant, and then, seizing the tattered colors in his teeth, dragged 
them triumphantly till he reached his own company. Many are the 
incidents recorded of the bravery and sagacity of this prince of 
poodles. In the van of scouting parties he discovered many an 
Austrian ambush, and on at least one occasion he drew attention 
to the presence of a disguised spy in the camp. Moreover, to his 
vigilance was due the failure of a night attack by a body of Aus- 



OUR FRIEND THE DOG. 29 

trians, of whose vicinity in the Valley of Balbo the French were 
apparently ignorant. 

In the days when bows and arrows were the weapons used in 
battle, the bloodhound was a most useful addition to an army, 
and later on, before electricity and steam were brought into use, 
it was kept to trace criminals, slave-owners generally keeping two 
or three to bring the runaways back to work. 

The advance of civilization, the introduction of gunpowder, the 
establishment of the police, the discovery of electricity and loco- 
motive power, and the abolition of the slave trade, have consigned 
the use of the bloodhound to the history of the past. As an orna- 
mental dog, it, however, remains highly prized, in some part ow- 
ing to the knowledge of what it is capable of doing when put to 
the test, occasional instances even now being recorded of some im- 
portant discoveries having been made by this intelligent hound. 
It is only a few years ago that a thief was caught in Epping Forest 
by the instrumentality of a bloodhound, and about the same time 
a hound chained up as a watch-dog in a tanyard in Devonshire, on 
being let loose, ran (for three miles) the line of a man who had 
stolen some leather, and caught him red-handed with the goods. 

Much has been written about the origin of the bloodhound, but 
little learned, as it is one of the first breeds spoken of in early 
literature, on account of its having been used in early warfare to 
trace fugitives. To quote the words of "Tickell" : 

"O'er all the bloodliound boasts superior skill, 
To scent, to view, to turn, to boldly kill." 

Generally speaking, however, the bloodhound of former days 
would not injure the culprit that did not attempt to escape, but 
would lie down quietly and give notice by a loud and peculiar 
howl what kind of prey he had found. Some, however, of a sav- 
age disposition, or trained to unnatural ferocity, would tear to 
pieces the hunted wretch, if timely rescue did not arrive. 

"A wild hound of this race was used by the Spaniards in the 
conquest of the Western hemisphere. This dog was not deficient 
in intelligence of a low order, but he had a look of relentless fe- 
rocity and bloodthirstiness terrible to behold." * 

-New Physiognoniy, p. 610. 



30 OUK FRIEND THE DOG. 

The use of this dog calls up some of the most painful recollec- 
tions in the history of the human race. The Spaniards had pos- 
sessed themselves of several of the South American islands. They 
found them peopled with Indians, and those of a sensual, brutish 
and barbarous class. They procured some of these dogs, by whose 
assistance they penetrated into every part of the country, and de- 
stroyed the greater portion of the former inhabitants. Las Casas, 
a Catholic priest, and whose life was employed in endeavoring to 
mitigate the sufferings of the original inhabitants, says that ''it 
was resolved to march against the Indians, who had fled to the 
mountains, and they were chased like wild beasts, with the assist- 
ance of bloodhounds, who had been trained to a thirst for human 
blood, so that before I had left the island it had become almost 
entirely a desert." 

Mr. John Lawrence says that a servant, discharged by a sporting 
country gentleman, broke into his stables by night and cut off the 
ears and tail of a favorite hunter. As soon as it was discovered, a 
bloodhound was brought into the stable, who at once detected 
the scent of the miscreant and traced it more than twenty miles. 
He then stopped at a door, whence no power could move him. 
Being at length admitted, he ran to the top of the house, and, 
bursting open the door of a garret, found the object that he 
sought in bed, and would have torn him to pieces had not the 
huntsman, who had followed him on a fleet horse, rushed up after 
him. Somerville thus describes the use to which he was generally 
put, in pursuit of the robber : 

"Soon the sagacious brute, his curling tail 
Flourished in air, low bending, plies around 
His bu,sy nose, the steaming vapor snuffs 
Inquisitive, nor leaves one turf untried, 
Till, conscious of the recent stains, his heart 
Beats quick. His snuflSlng nose, his active tail, 
Attest his joy. Then, with deep opening mouth, 
That makes the welkin tremble, he proclaims 
Th' audacious felon. Foot by foot he marks 
His winding way. Over the watery ford, 
Dry sandy heaths, and stony barren hills, 
Unerring he pursues, till at the cot 
Arrived, and, seizing by his guilty throat 
The caitiff vile, redeems the captive prey." 



OUR FRIEND THE DOG. 31 

The Scotch staghound is a large, strong and fierce dog. In 
appearance this magnificent breed of dogs resembles the Eng- 
lish greyhound, but is larger and has rough, wiry hair instead of a 
smooth coat. The head is carried particularly high and gives the 
animal a noble appearance. Many accounts have been given of 
the perfection of its scent, and it is said to have followed a 
wounded deer during two successive days. 

On the hights of the moorlands, the night clouds are sleeping, 

Enfolded in mist every glen, every crag ; 
Every Scotchman asleep, save the deerstalker creeping. 

With rifle and hound, in pursuit of the stag. 

With his hound— or, say rather, companion and brother, 

For Nature has set to affection no bound ; 
What son more obedient and loving, what mother 

More loved, than that man by his favorite hound ? 

In the still of the morning their hearts beat together. 
The same keen excitement is stirring each breast ; 

Be it man, be it dog, the bejeweled pink heather 
Scarce feels the soft footfall so cautiously press'd. 

The only fault which these dogs have is their occasional ill- 
temper, or even ferocity ; but this does not extend to the owner 
and his family. His appearance indicates strength, in which, in- 
deed, he is unequaled, and he has sufficient speed to render it 
difficult for the best horses long to keep pace with him : while, as 
is necessary when the distance between the foot-marks of the deer 
is considered, his scent is most exquisite. He is seldom at fault 
and rarely fails to run down his game. They were first brought 
into prominence in this country by English sporting gentlemen, 
who used them for antelope and deer hunting in the western wilds. 

"Ere the rising sun has blushed the early morn, 
The sly old buck has heard the hunter's horn; 
The shouts of men, the trusty charger's neigh, 
But high above them all the hound's deep bay." 

The English deerhound has been used from time immemorial 
in the chase of the deer. The most tyrannical laws were enforced 
for the preservation of this species of game, and the life of the 
deer, except when sacrificed in the chase, was guarded with even 
more strictness than the life of the human being. 



32 OUR FRIEND THE DOG. 

Of the stoutness of this dog the following anecdotes will be a 
sufficient illustration. A deer, in the spring of 1822, was turned 
out before the Earl of Derby's hounds at Hayes Common. The 
chase was continued nearly four hours without a check, when, be- 
ing almost run down, the animal took refuge in some out-houses, 
near Speldhurst, in Kent, more than forty miles across the coun- 
try, having actually run more than fifty miles. Nearly twenty 
horses died in the field, or in consequence of the severity of the 
chase, A stag was turned out at Wingfield Park, in Northumber- 
land. The whole pack, with the exception of two hounds, Avas, 
after a long run, thrown out. The stag returned to his accustomed 
haunt, and, as his last effort, leaped the wall of the park, and lay 
down and died. One of the hounds, unable to clear the wall, fell 
and expired and the other was found dead at a little distance. 
They had run about forty miles. When the stag first hears the 
cry of the hounds he runs with the swiftness of the wind, and 
continues to run as long as any sound of his pursuers can be dis- 
tinguished. 

"An hundred dogs bayed deep and strong, 
Clattered an hundred steeds along." 

Since the decline in stag-hunting, the English deerhound, as a 
distinct breed, is unknown in that country. All those packs that 
now hunt the stag are pure foxhounds, with the exception of Mr. 
Nevill's in Hampshire, which are called "Black St. Huberts." 
Those dogs are referred to in Sir Walter Scott's " Lady of the 
Lake ": 

" Two dogs of black St. Hubert's breed, 
Unmatched for courage, breath and speed, 
Fast on his flying traces came, 
And all but won that desperate game." 

As a general complete poetic, yet accurate, description of the 
chase, I know of nothing to compare with Sir Walter Scott's, which 
I therefore transcribe: 

" As chief, who hears his warder call, 
' To arms ! the foemen storm the wall,' 
The antler'd monarch of the waste 
Sprung from his heathery couch in haste. 



OUR FRIEND THE DOG. 33 

But, ere his fleet career he took, 

The dew-drops from his flanks he shook; 

Like crested leader, proud and high, 

Toss'd his beam'd frontlet to the sky; 

A moment gazed adown the dale, 

A moment suuflT'd the tainted gale, 

A moment listen'd to the cry. 

That thickened as the chase drew nigh; 

Then, as the headmost fo6s appear'd. 

With one brave bound the copse he clear'd, 

And, stretching forward free and far. 

Sought the wild heaths of Uam-Var." 

The greyhound, deerhound and harrier were for many centuries 
the only hunting-dogs. The foxhound has been much more 
recently bred. The modern foxhound has had more attention paid 
to his shape and has been kept more pure than any other breed of 
dogs in existence. Most kennels of any standing possess stud- 
books dating back one hundred years, and can trace the pedigree 
of every hound in their packs for that time. This is almost equal 
to that of the English thoroughbred horse, and far greater than 
that of the greyhound, few pedigrees of which go back in all their 
lines more than ten generations. " Cecil " has lately published the 
''Hound Stud Book," which proves this statement without a 
doubt, and makes the study of the various strains of the foxhound 
doubly interesting. 

Some extraordinary accounts have been given of the speed of 
the foxhound. A match that was run over the Beacon Course at 
Newmarket is the best illustration of his fleetness. The distance 
is four miles one furlong and 132 yards. The winning dog 
performed it in eight minutes and a few seconds ; but of the sixty 
horses that started with the hounds, only twelve were able to run 
in with them. Flying Childers had run the same course in seven 
minutes and thirty seconds. 

Frank Forrester says : '' It is remarkable, though by no means 
new, as a fact, that the most general of all human passions, not 
directly connected with the gratification of the senses, is the 
passion for the chase. From the savage ranger of the wilderness 
to the effeminate dweller of the crowded city, from the proudest 
magnate of European realms to their humblest serf, no race, no 



34 OUR FRIEND THE DOG. 

class, no age, no sex of the human family, seems to be exempt 
from this pervading, passionate, self-originated frenzy for pursuit. 
Witness, whoever has seen, in our Western hunting-grounds, a 
stag, or bear, driven from his native fastnesses into the cultivated 
clearings, with the whole neighborhood arising on his track to 
share, at least with their eyes and ears, the thrilling rapture of the 
' Hunt's up ! ' " 

Why it should be so, this is neither the time nor place to inquire. 
Our article on hounds is already somewhat extended, but we shall 
again find it necessary to refer to them later on in connection with 
sheep. 

Burchell, in his "Travels in Africa," places the connection 
between man and the dog, and the good qualities of this animal, 
in an interesting point of view. A pack of dogs of various descrip- 
tions formed a necessary part of his caravan, occasionally to pro- 
vide him with food, but oftener to defend him from wild beasts or 
robbers. " While almost every other quadruped fears man as his 
most formidable enemy," says this interesting traveler, " there is 
one who regards him as his companion, and follows him as his 
friend. We must not mistake the nature of the case. It is not 
because we train him to our use, and have made choice of him in 
preference to other animals, but because this particular species of 
animal feels a natural desire to be useful to man, and, from spon- 
taneous impulse, attaches himself to him. Were it not so, we 
should see in various countries an equal familiarity with other 
quadrupeds, according to their habits and the taste or caprices of 
different nations, but, everywhere, it is the dog only that takes 
delight in associating with us, and sharing our abode. It is he who 
knows us personally, watches over us, and warns us of danger. It 
is impossible for the naturalist not to feel a conviction that this 
friendship between creatures so different from each other must be 
the result of the laws of nature ; nor can the humane and feeling 
mind avoid the belief that kindness to those animals, from which 
he derives continued and essential assistance, is part of the moral 
duty of man. Often in the silence of the night, when all my peo- 
ple have been fast asleep around the fire, have I stood to contem- 
plate these faithful animals watching by their side, and have 



OUR FRIEND THE DOG. 35 

learned to esteem them for their social inclination towards man- 
kind. When wandering over pathless deserts, oppressed with 
vexation and distress at the conduct of my own men, I have turned 
to these as my only friends, and felt how much inferior to them 
was man when actuated only by selfish views." 

Of the staunchness and incorruptible fidelity of the dog, and his 
disregard of personal inconvenience and want, when employed in 
our service, it is impossible to entertain a doubt. We have some- 
times thought that the attachment of the dog to its master was in- 
creased, or at least the exhibition of it, by the penury of the 
owner. At all events one fact is plain enough, that, while poverty 
drives away from us many a companion of our happier hours, it 
was never known to diminish the love of our quadruped friend. 

The early history of the dog has been described, and the abom- 
ination in which he was held by the Israelites. At no great dis- 
tance of time, however, we find him, almost in the neighborhood 
of Palestine, in one of the islands of the Ionian Sea, the companion 
and the friend of princes, and deserving their regard. The 
following is a somewhat abbreviated account of the last meeting of 
Ulysses and his dog. Twenty years had passed since Argus, the 
favorite dog of Ulysses, had been parted from his master. The 
monarch at length wended his way homewards, and, disguised as 
a beggar, for his life would have been sacrificed had he been 
known, stood at the entrance of his palace-door. There he met 
with an old dependent, who had formerly served him with fidelity 
and who was yet faithful to his memory ; but age and hardship and 
care, and the disguise which he now wore, had so altered the wan- 
derer that the good Eumaeus had not the most distant suspicion 
with whom he was conversing ; but — 

" Near to the gates, conferring as they drew, 
Argus the dog his ancient master knew, 
And, not unconscious of the voice and tread, 
Lifts to the sound his ears, and rears his head. 
He knew his lord, he knew, and strove to meet ; 
In vain he strove to crawl and kiss his feet : 
Yet, all he could, his tail, his ears, his eyes, 
Salute his master, and confess his joys."* 

-'Pope's Odyssey, xvii 



/ 



36 OUR FRIEND THE DOG. 

In Daniel's "Kural Sports," the account of a nobleman and his 
dog is given. The nobleman had been absent two years on foreign 
service. On his return this faithful creature was the first to recog- 
nize him, as he came through the court-yard, and he flew to wel- 
come his old master and friend. He sprung upon him ; his agita- 
tion and his joy knew no bounds ; and at length, in the fullness of 
his transport, he fell at his master's feet and expired. 

Every one has heard of the faithful greyhound Gelert, to whose 
care was left his master's infant child in the cradle. When the 
father returned from the chase he found the cradle overturned and 
the child nowhere to be seen. The father, thinking the dog had 
killed the child, slew him on the spot. — 

" ' Hellhound ! by thee my child's devoured ! ' 

The frantic father cried ; 
And to the hilt his vengeful sword 

He plunged in Gelert's side." 

But he soon regretted his rashness, for, on looking under the bed, 
he found the infant alive and well, and not far off the body of a 
large wolf which the noble Gelert had killed. A splendid tomb 
was erected to this faithful dog, and an image of him made of 
marble was placed upon it, with the word ''Fidelity" carved 
upon the stone. Prince Lewellyn, the owner of Gelert, lived in 
the time of King John, in the early part of the thirteenth century. 

One instance of dog sense that will strike home is told by a Cap- 
tain Brown. A gentleman, requesting the loan of a pointer from 
a friend, was informed that he was a perfect pointer, but could not 
stomach a bad shot. Unfortunately for the dog, the borrower was 
a poor shot, and missed bird after bird. Eventually the dog grew 
careless, but finally came to a good point, seemingly at a fern-bush. 
The sportsman advanced, and out sprang a fine black-cock. Both 
barrels missed him, and the dog's patience was so exhausted that 
he gave a howl, tucked his tail between his legs and put out for 
home. If more dogs of this kind existed, half the powder manu- 
facturers would shut up shop. 

" See how the well-taught pointer leads the way ; 
The scent grows warm ; he stops ; he springs the prey ; 
The fluttering covey from the stubble rise, 
And on swift wing divide the sounding skies !" 

— Oapj Rural Sports. 



OUR FRIEND THE DOG. 



37 



A very good anecdote is related illustrative of the advantage of 
having a well-broken dog. A deacon who lived in New Hamp- 
shire was very fond of shooting and had a favorite well-trained 
setter. It happened that one evening, while the deacon was ex- 
horting earnestly at a prayer-meeting, the deacon's setter entered 
and started with a bound to his master, when quick as a flash the 
deacon raised his hand with a warning gesture and exclaimed : 
" Thou hast given us our charge; help us to keep it." At the em- 
phasized word, "charge," the dog dropped, as if shot, on the very 
threshold of the door, with his eyes fixed on his master. In the 
same unmoved tone, with a slight wave of the extended hand, 
the deacon exclaimed : "We would not return back to Thee with 
our duty on earth unfulfilled." At the emphasized word " back," 
the dog went out as noiselessly as he had entered and waited for 
the deacon outside. 

The following, written by Courtney Langdon, whose profession 
contines him to college life and among books, shows that the love 
for dog and gun and appreciation of them are not confined to those 
who are disposed to keep and handle them. These lines refer to 
his brother's favorite setter dog, that was found dead on the rail- 
road track, killed by a passing train. He had been a faithful and 
true hunting companion, and a loving and gentle friend to the 
household, and especially to the children : 

" Some tribute to thy memory I would raise, 
Some humble testimonial to thy praise, 
Old friend, that never again shalt idly roam 
From^ yonder yard, thy pleasant man-built home. 
Companion, aye, far more, my brother's friend, 
As more than dog, we mourn thy cruel end ; 
Thy mate in silence grieves as dogs may grieve, 
Nor can thy master even now believe 
That thou no more shalt lick his petting hand, 
No more thy graceful form beside him stand ; 
The child, fair playmate of each idle day. 
Will miss thee often in his childish play, 
And at thy name in wonder point his hand. 
Not to thy kennel, but to far-off land. 
Where child and man place those whose loss they mourn. 
When far from human love and care they're borne." 



38 OUR FRIEND THE DOG. 

In tracing the dog back to the very earliest period of history, 
the fact that he then seemed to be as sagacious, as faithful 
and as valuable as at the present day, strongly favors the opinion 
that he descended from no inferior and comparatively worthless 
animal — that he was not the progeny of the wolf, the jackal or the 
fox, but he was originally created, somewhat as we now find him, 
the associate and the friend of man. If, within the first thousand 
years after the deluge, we observe that divine honors were paid to 
him, we can scarcely be brought to believe his wolfish genealogy. 
The most savage animals are capable of affection for those to 
whom they have been accustomed and by whom they have been 
well treated, and, therefore, we give full credit to several accounts 
of this sort related of the wolf, the lion and even the cat and the 
reptile ; but in no other animal — in no other, even in the genus 
Canis — do we find the qualities of the domestic dog, or the slight- 
est approach to them. " To his master he flies with alacrity," 
say the eloquent Buffon, "and submissively lays at his feet all his 
courage, strength and talent. A glance of the eye is suflicient ; 
for he understands the smallest indications of his will. He has 
all the ardor of friendship, and fidelity and constancy in his af- 
fections, which man can have. Neither interest nor desire of re- 
venge can corrupt him, and he has no fear but that of displeasing. 
He is all zeal and obedience. He speedily forgets ill-usage, or 
only recollects it to make returning attachment the stronger. He 
licks the hand which causes him pain, and subdues his anger by 
submission. The training of the dog seems to have been the first 
art invented by man, and the fruit of that art was the conquest 
and peaceable possession of the earth." " Man," says Burns, '' is 
the God of the dog ; he knows no other ; and see how he worships 
him With what reverence he crouches at his feet— with what 
reverence he looks up to him — with what delight he fawns upon 
him, and with what cheerful alacrity he obeys him !" 

If any of the lower animals bear about them the impress of the 
divine hand, it is found in the dog : many others are plainly and 
decidedly more or less connected with the welfare of the human 
being ; but this connection and its effects are limited to a few 
points, or often to one alone. The dog, different, yet the same, in 



OUR FRIEND THE DOG. 89 

^very region, seems to be formed expressly to administer to our 
comforts and to our pleasure. He displays a versatility, and yet 
a perfect unity of power and character, which mark him as our 
destined servant, and, still more, as our companion and friend. 
Other animals may be brought to a certain degree of familiarity, 
and may display much affection and gratitude. . There was 
scarcely an animal in the menagerie of the Zoological Society that 
did not acknowledge the superintendent as his friend ; but it was 
only a casual intercourse, and might be dissolved by a word or 
look. At the hour of feeding, the brute principle reigned supreme 
and the companion of other hours would be sacrificed if he dared 
to interfere ; but the connection between man and the dog, no 
lapse of time, no change of circumstances, no infliction of evil, 
can dissolve. We must, therefore, look far beyond the wolf for 
the prototype of the dog. 

Cuvier eloquently states that the dog exhibits the most com- 
plete and the most useful conquest that man has made. Each in- 
dividual is entirely devoted to his master, adopts his manners, 
distinguishes and defends his property, and remains attached to 
him even unto death ; and all this springing not from mere neces- 
sity, or from constraint, but simply from gratitude and true friend- 
ship. The swiftness, the strength and the highly developed power 
of smelling of the dog, have made him a powerful ally of man 
against the other animals ; these qualities in the dog were neces- 
sary to the establishment of society. It is the only animal that 
has followed the human being all over the earth. 

There is occasionally a friendship existing between dogs resem- 
bling that which is found in the human being, which the following 
anecdote well illustrates : Two dogs, the property of a gentle- 
man at Shrewsbury, had been companions for many years, until 
one of them died of old age. The survivor immediately began to 
manifest an extraordinary degree of restless anxiety, searching 
for his old associate in all his former haunts and refusing every 
kind of food. He gradually wasted away, and at the expiration 
of the tenth day he died, the victim of an attachment that would 
have done honor to man. 

Books teem with anecdotes of the fidelity of the dog and their 
attachment to their master, his property and family. Many of 



40 OUR FRIEND THE DOG. 

these incidents attest alike memory, judgment and reflection, no 
less than affection, and cases which are well authenticated show 
these in dogs of all degrees. Wordsworth has beautifully embodied 
one of these in the following lines : 

" A barking sound the shepherd hears, 
A cry as of a dog or fox ; 
He halts, and searches with his eyes 

Among tlie scattered rocks : 
And now at distance can discern 
A stirring in a brake of fern ; 
And instantly a dog is seen. 
Glancing through that covert green. 

" The dog is not of mountain breed ; 
Its motions, too, are wild and shy, 
With something, as the shepherd thinks. 

Unusual in its cry. 
Nor is there any one in sight 
All round, in hollow or on height ; 
Nor shout nor whistle strikes the ear ; 
What is the creature doing here ? 

" Not free from boding thoughts, a while 
The shepherd stood ; then makes his way 

Toward the dog, o'er rocks and stones, 
As quickly as he may ; 

Nor far had gone before he found 

A human skeleton on the ground ! 

Th' appail'd discoverer with a sigh 

LiOOks round to learn the history. 

" Yes, proof was plain, that since that day 
When this ill-fated traveler died 
The dog had watched about the spot. 

Or by his master's side. 
How nourish'd here through such long time 
He knows who gave that love sublime, 
And gave that strength of feeling great 
Above all human estimate." 

At the hard fought battle of Aughrim an Irish officer was ac- 
companied by his wolfhound. This gentleman was killed and his 
body stripped on the battle-field, but the dog remained by it both 
by day and night. He fed upon some of the other bodies with 
the rest of the dogs, yet he would not allow them, or any one else, 



OUR FRIEND THE DOG. 



41 



to come near that of his master. When all the other bodies were 
consumed the other dogs departed, but this faithful creature used 
to go in the night to the adjacent village for food, and in the 
morning return to the place where his master's bones only were 
then left. This he continued to do from July, when the battle was 
fought, through the cold and dreary winter until the January fol- 
lowing, when a soldier, whose regiment was quartered near that 
spot, going that way by chance, the dog, fearing he came to disturb 
his beloved master's bones, flew with great fierceness upon the 
soldier, who, being thrown ofiE his guard by the suddenness of the 
attack, unslung his carbine, he having been thrown on his back, 
and killed the noble animal. 

One of the most striking proofs of the influence of climate on 
the form and character of this animal occurs in the bull-dog. 
When transported to India he becomes in a few years greatly al- 
tered in form, loses all his former courage and ferocity, and be- 
comes a perfect coward. Captain Williamson savs "that many per- 
sons affect to treat the idea of degeneration in quadrupeds with 
ridicule ; but all who have been any considerable time resident in 
India must be satisfied that dogs of European breed become, after 
every successive generation, more and more similar to the pariah, 
or indigenous dog of thai country. The hounds are the most 
rapid in their decline, and, except in the form of their ears, they 
are very much like many of the village curs."* Mr. Hodgson 
found the wild dog more or less prevailing through the whole of 
Northern India, and even southward of the coast of Coromandel. 
He thought that he had discovered the primitive race of the dog. 
The wild dog is essentially the same in every part of that im- 
mense extent of country. There is no more reason, however, for 
concluding that it was the primitive dog, than for conferring on 
the Indian cattle the same honor among the ruminants. The 
truth of the matter is that we have no guide what was the original 
breed in any country. This is a point that can never be decided. 
It is probable all dogs sprang from one common source, but cli- 
mate, food and cross-breeding caused variations of form which 



* Williamson's "Oriental Field Sports. 



42 



OUR FRIEND THE DOG. 



suggested particular uses, and these, being either designedly or 
accidentally perpetuated, the various breeds of dogs thus arose. 
Buffon imagines that the shepherd's dog — transported to different 
climates, and acquiring different habits — was the ancestor of the 
various species with which almost every country abounds ; but 
whence they originally came it is impossible to say. They vary in 
their size, their color, their attitude, their usual exterior and their 
strangely different interior construction. Transported into vari- 
ous climates, they are necessarily submitted to the influence of 
heat and cold, and of food more or less abundant and more or less 
suitable to their natural organization ; but the reason or the deri- 
vation of these differences of structure it is not always easy to 
explain. 




CHAPTER II. 

THE SHEPHERD DOG. 

One breed may rise, another fall, 

But the Shepherd Dog survives them all. 

Among the highly cultivated breeds of dogs, the shepherd dog 
enjoys a world-wide reputation for his intelligence and sagacity 
exercised in the service of man. The shepherd dog, though moving 
in an humble sphere, doubtless inherits, like the ancient races of 
men, the resu't of many centuries of cultivation. His aptitude 
for certain duties connected with the care of sheep are most aston- 
ishing, and he is perhaps, on the whole, the most highly organized, 
as he is certainly the most useful, of all dogs. 

Whea the pastures were in a manner opea to the first occupant, 
and every shepherd had a common property in them, it was not so 
necessary to restrain the wandering of the sheep, and the voice of 
the shepherd was usually sufficient to collect and to guide them. 
He preceded the flock, and they " followed him whithersoever he 
went." Much is written by Jewish historians of shepherds and 
flocks, but the only allusion throughout the whole of the Scriptures 
which can apply to the shepherd dog is to be found in the first 
verse of the thirtieth chapter of Job, in which Job says : ''Now 
they that are younger than I have me in derision, whose fathers I 
would have disdained to have set with the dogs of my flocks." Dr. 
Tristram, in his "Natural History of the Bible," says the dogs 
were only used as guards, to protect the herds and flocks from 
wolves and jackals, and not to drive them. The Jews classed the 
dog among the unclean animals, and with few exceptions he is sel- 
dom the chosen companion of the Jew, or even the inmate of his 
house, to the present day. This being the case, there is little won- 
der that Jewish writers should have failed to make frequent men- 

(43) 



44 THE SHEPHERD DOG. 

tion of so useful an animal as the shepherd's dog. In process of 
time, however, man availed himself of the sagacity of the dog to 
diminish his own labor and fatigue, and this useful servitor be- 
came the guide and defender of the flock. 

Professor Grognier gives the following account of this dog as he 
is found in France : "The shepherd's dog, the least removed from 
the natural type of the dog, is of a middle size ; his ears short and 
straight ; the hair long, principally on the tail, and of a dark 
color ; the tail is carried horizontally or a little elevated. He is 
very indifferent to caresses, possessed of much intelligence and 
activity to discharge the duties for which he was designed. In 
one or other of its varieties it is found in every part of France. 
Sometimes there is but a single breed, in others there are several 
varieties. It lives and maintains its proper characteristics, while 
other races often degenerate. Everywhere it preserves its proper 
distinguishing type. It is the servant of man, while other breeds 
vary with a thousand circumstances. It has one appropriate 
mission, and that it discharges in the most admirable way: there is 
evidently a kind and wise design in this." This account of the 
French sheep-dog, or of the sheep-dog everywhere, is as true as it 
is beautiful. One age succeeds to another, we pass from one cli- 
mate to another, and everything varies and changes, but the shep- 
herd's dog is what he ever was — the guardian of our flocks. There 
are, however, two or more species of this dog ; the one which Pro- 
fessor Grognier has described, and which guards and guides the 
sheep in the open and level country, where wolves seldom intrude ; 
another crossed with the mastiff, or little removed from that dog, 
used in the woody and mountainous countries, their guard more 
than their guide.* In Great Britain, where he has principally to 
guide, and not to guard, the flock, he is comparatively a small dog. 

In whatever country the dog is used 'partly or principally to 
protect the flock from the ravages of the wolf, he is as gentle as a 
lamb, except when opposed to his natural enemy ; and it is only in 
England that the guardian of the sheep occasionally injures and 

*The migratory sheep, in some parts of the south of France almost 
as numerous as in Spain, are attended by a goat, as a guide ; and the 
intelligence and apparent pride which he displays are remarkable. 



THE SHEPHERD DOG. 45 

worries them, and that many can be found bearing the mark of the 
tooth. This may be somewhat excusable (although it is often car- 
ried to a barbarous extent) in the drover's dog, but it will admit 
of no apology in the shepherd dog. It is the result of the idleness 
and brutality of the shepherd, who is attempting to make the dog 
do his own work and that of his master, too. 

The English sheep-dog, or drover's dog, is of such ancient origin 
that its early history is enveloped in obscurity. It is supposed 
that the breed was originally tailless like the Manx cats, but it 
sometimes happens that several in a litter are born with tails of 
full length. Stonehenge, on "The Dog," p. 123, says: ''Under 
the old excise laws the shepherd dog was only exempt from tax 
when without a tail, and for this reason it was always removed ; 
from which last it happened that many puppies of the breed were 
born without any tails." 

The earliest work on the subject of the shepherd dog written in 
the English language was Dr. Canis' ''Treatise on Englishe Dogges," 
published in 1550. This book was originally in Latin, and 
translated by Abraham Fleming. Dr. Canis devotes a chapter to 
the shepherd dog (which he calls the shepherd's hound), from 
which we give a brief extract : "This dog, either at the hearing 
of his master's voice, or at the wagging of his fist, or at his shrill 
and hoarse whistling and hissing, bringeth the wandering wethers 
and straying sheep into the self-same place where his master's will 
and work is to have them, whereby the shepherd reapeth the bene- 
fit, namely, that with little labor and no toil of moving his feet he 
may rule and guide his flock according to his own desire, either to 
have them go forward or stand still, or to draw backward, or to 
turn this way or to take that way." The popular author Youatt 
(1845) tells us little or nothing about this dog, but his illustration 
represents him as an ordinary collie without a tail. Kichardson, 
in 1850, gives an extended description of this dog, which he 
alludes to as "the shepherd's dog of England," and says he is larger 
and stronger, and fully equal in sagacity to its more northern rela- 
tive. Dr. Kerr says: "With regard to the sagacity of this breed 
I consider it has few equals and certainly no superior. Many years 
ago, wh»n our island was principally primeval forest with few 



46 THE SHEPHERD DOG. 

clearings, it must necessarily have been infested with wolves and 
bears, and, to protect the flocks and herds, it must have been 
requisite to have a large and powerful dog, able to cope with such 
formidable and destructive foes, and to undergo any amount of 
fatigue, and with a jacket to withstand all vicissitudes of weather, 
for his avocation was an every-day one ; day and night, and in all 
weathers, was he watching and battling with heat and storms and 
marauding foes." The English sheep-dog is heavier and stronger 
than the collie, and the original breed was undoubtedly a larger 
dog than those of the present day. 

England, Scotland and Wales have each laid claim to the 
orii;inal possession of the bob-tailed sheep-dog. There is no 
doubt he was at one time about equally distributed throughout the 
United Kingdom, but at the present time he is found in the highest 
perfection in the south and west, where a dog of his description is 
most required. He has been found most useful as a drover's dog, 
and is of tener seen following stockmen through the streets of London 
than in any other locality. They are quiet, steady, patient work- 
ers, and are not apt to hurry stock, which, as drovers know, is a 
serious injury to cattle and sheep in our hot summers. They are 
not often seen in this country, but can be procured from large 
kennels in the East. At present they are not quite suitable for a 
domestic companion, as they are more or less surly in disposition, 
though improved associations may remedy this, but as a household 
pet he is not likely to become fashionable like the modern collie. 

A flock of a thousand sheep in Spain requires the attention of 
two men, and an equal number of dogs, who never for a moment 
quit their charge, watching them without intermission day and 
night. The original Spanish shepherd dog is a very powerful 
animal, and, Avhen armed with spike collar, is a sufficient match 
for the largest wolves that infest the mountainous parts of Spain 
most frequented by the herds during the summer season. They 
are said to be very ferocious, and will allow no strange person or 
animal to approach the flock. They are very faithful to their 
charge, and, if employed in this country, would not only defend 
the sheep from the bloodthirsty wolf, but even attack, if necessary, 
the skulking savage. Some years since a flock of merinos was sent 



THE SHEPHERD DOG. 4/ 

from Spain to England, accompanied by the shepherd and his dog. 
During the shepherd's temporary absence one of the sheep fell 
into a ditch and was unable to extricate itself. A young man that 
was passing went to the sheep's assistance, but the Spanish shep- 
herd dog commenced to growl, and a bystander told the young 
man it was not safe to touch the sheep ; but he persisted in doing 
so. The dog immediately sprang on him and mangled his arm, 
so that it had to be amputated. In order to save the dog's life, he 
was smuggled over to this country, where he did good duty with 
the sheep until a stranger struck him a severe blow with a stick. 
The dog at once pounced upon him and bit him badly. The dog 
was again smuggled off, and the next time he turns up in the great 
Northwest, where, after guarding a large flock of sheep faithfully 
for several months, he received a severe cut from a whip in the 
hands of a drunken rowdy. He at once sprang at him, but was 
called off before any great damage was done. The man was told 
to never again approach the dog, but some months later the man 
happened to be passing on horseback, when the dog sprang from 
the roadside straight at his throat ; but his horse happening to shy 
to one side, saved his life. This time the dog was destroyed. 

A gentleman in Delaware says : "I can say without exaggera- 
tion that at least twenty dogs have been killed on my farm or in my 
barnyard by my dog Montague. He is a Spanish shepherd dog. 
His dimensions are nearly four feet from his eyes to the root of 
his tail, and two feet eight inches high over the shoulders. The 
natural instinct of this animal is to guard your sheep against 
wolves and dogs." 

Mr. Trammer, in his work on the merinos, speaking of the 
Spanish flocks, says : " There is no driving of the flock ; that is a 
practice entirely unknown ; but the shepherd, when he wishes to 
remove his sheep, calls to him a tame wether accustomed to feed 
from his hands. The favorite, however distant, obeys his call, 
and the" rest follow. One or more of the dogs, with large collars 
armed with spikes, in order to protect them from the wolves, pre- 
cede the flock, others skirt it on each side, and some bring up the 
rear. If a sheep be ill or lame, or lag behind unobserved by the 
jshepherds, they will stay with it and defend it until some one 



48 THE SHEPHERD DOG. 

return in search of it. With us, dogs are often used for other and 
worse purposes. In open, unenclosed districts, they are indispen- 
sable ; but in others I wish them, I confess, either managed, or 
encouraged less. If a sheep commits a fault in the sight of an in- 
temperate shepherd, or accidentally offends him, it is dogged into 
obedience ; the signal is given, the dog obeys the mandate, and the 
poor sheep flies around the field to escape from the fangs of him 
who should be his protector, until it becomes half dead with fright 
and exhaustion, while the trembling flock crowd together dreading 
the same fate, and the churl exults in this cowardly victory over a 
weak and defenceless animal."* 

We will not enter into particulars regarding the Mexican sheep- 
dog. Suffice it to say, he is descended from the Spanish shepherd 
dog, and, while being very much smaller in size, he is very intelli- 
gent in his business of watching herds and flocks. Whenever 
sheep hear a dog that is accustomed to hound them every day, 
they will immediately start from their grazing, gather together and 
run to the farthest fence, and press upon each other in order to 
escape the dog. With lambs, after they are weaned, it is apt to 
overheat them and induce palpitation ; with ewes, it is apt to 
cause abortion, and among wethers, puts them off their feeding for 
a time. Should the farmer take all these things into consideration 
he would attach more importance to the good temper of both the 
shepherd and the dog than he has been accustomed to do. When 
the sheep, instead of collecting round the dog and placing them- 
selves under his protection on any sudden alarm, fly from him 
with terror, the farmer may be assured there is something radi- 
cally wrong in the management of his flock. Instinct and educa- 
tion combine to fit this dog for our service. He will, if he has the 
example of an older and expert one, almost without the teaching 
of the master, become everything that can be desired — obedient 
to every order, even to the slightest motion of the hand. It is a 
natural predisposition for the office he lias to fill, which it requires 
little trouble or skill to develop and perfect. If he is but with his 
master, he is content, indifferent to every surrounding object ; 

■!• Trammer on the Merinos, p. 50. 



THE SHEPHERD DOG. 49 

seemingly half asleep and half awake ; rarely mingling with his 
kind, and generally shrinking from the notice of strangers ; but 
the moment duty calls, his sleepy, listless eye becomes brightened, 
he eagerly gazes on his master, inquires and comprehends all he 
has to do, and, springing up, gives himself to the discharge of 
his duty with a sagacity and fidelity too rarely equaled even by 
man himself. 

Buffon gives an eloquent and faithful account of the sheep-dog : 
" This animal, faithful to man, will always preserve a portion of 
his empire and a degree of superiority over other beings. He 
reigns at the head of his flock, and makes himself better under- 
stood than the voice of the shepherd. Safety, order and disci- 
pline are the fruits of his vigilance and activity. They are a peo- 
ple submitted to his management, whom he conducts and protects, 
and against whom he never employs force but for the preservation 
of good order. If we consider that this animal, notwithstanding 
his ugliness and his wild and melancholy look, is superior in in- 
stinct to all others ; that he has a decided character in which edu- 
cation has comparatively little share ; that he is the only animal 
born perfectly trained for the service of others ; that, guided by 
natural powers alone, he applies himself to the care of our flocks, 
a duty which he executes with singular assiduity, vigilance and 
fidelity; that he conducts them with an admirable intelligence 
which is a part and portion of himself ; that his sagacity astonishes 
at the same time that it gives repose to his master, while it requires 
great time and trouble to instruct other dogs for the purposes to 
which they are destined — if w& reflect on these facts, we shall be 
confirmed in the opinion that the shepherd's dog is the true dog of 
nature, the stock and model of the whole species." * 

Taplin, in the Sportman's Cabinet, published in 1803, devotes 
several pages to a description of the shepherd's dog. He says : 
" Constitutionally calm, patient and philosophic, the sheep-dog ap- 
pears totally lost to every appearance of novelty, and insensible to 
every attraction beyond the protection and indefatigable preserva- 
tion of the flock committed to his charge. In the most sequestered 

*Buffon's "Natural History," Vol. V., p. 314. 
3 



50 THE?lSHEPHERD DOG. 

and remote spots, dreary _^'wilds and lofty mountains, almost in- 
accessible to man, the dog become an incredible and trusty substi- 
tute ; for, once initiated into the groundwork of his office, he soon 
acquires a perfect knowledge of the extent of his walk, as well as 
of every individual of his flock ; and will as regularly select his 
own, and disperse obtruders, as the most faithful and attentive 
shepherd in existence. This becomes the more extraordinary to 
the contemplative mind, when it is recollected what immense flocks 
are seen to cover the downy hills of Hants and Wilts, as far as the 
eye can reach, without control ; and to know that by a signal from 
the shepherd this faithful, sagacious animal, replete with energy, 
vigilance and activity, will make his circle so as to surround a 
flock of hundreds, and bring them within any compass that may 
be required." 



CHAPTEK III. 

THE FASHIONABLE COLLIE. 

" Pat him on the head and say, * Hector, ma mon ! ' and he whines 
wi' joy; snap your thooms, and he gangs dancin' round ye like a 
whurlwund; gie a whusslin' hiss, and he loups frantic ower your 
head; cry halloo! and he's aflflike a shot, chasin' naething, as if he 
were mad." — Wilson, Noctes Ambrosianse. 

As far as my observation extends, I find there are in the United 
States five different kinds of shepherd dogs— the Scotch collie, the 
German, Spanish and Mexican, also the bob-tailed English sheep- 
dog. Of these, the Scotch collie is regarded as the best, and is 
most known. His place of nativity is among the moors, fens, 
glens and hills of Scotland, where the clannishness of the master 
is so pronounced that even the dogs refuse to make friends with the 
stranger who stops to share their porridge and shelter for the night. 
His only companions are the sheep upon the hillside, among whom 
he stalks with an air of conscious protection and guardianship. 
Throughout the northwest many mongrel collies are to be seen, 
mainly a bull and collie cross. As a" result, an old sow or a grown 
hog rarely has a whole ear, the ears having been split and torn off 
by mongrel dogs. Send one of these so-called collies after a cow, 
and ninety-nine times out of a hundred he will go at the 
head instead of at the heels ; not but what some of the genuine ar- 
ticle will do the same thing, but this is from lack of proper train- 
ing and can be remedied at will. 

The origin and history of the collie is obscured in the mists of 
the past. None of the old writers with whom I am acquainted 
gives a description that could be applied to the collie of to-day. 
Although many writers give their opinion, all are more or less left 
to conjecture. Dr. Alexander Stewart, a Scotchman, says the col- 

( 53J 



54 THE FASHIONABLE COLLIE. 

lie is '' the old indigenous dog of the British Islands." In refer- 
ring to Fingal's dog Bran, he says he was ''just an exceptionally 
strong and intelligent collie ; nor would it be easy to persuade me 
that the faithful Argus of Ulyssus, in far-off Ithaca, three thou- 
sand years ago, was other than a genuine collie of the same breed 
as the Fingalians more than a thousand years afterwards in the 
hunting-grounds of medieval Scotland and Ireland." If Dr. 
Stewart's theory is correct, this collie would be identical with the 
collie of to-day. We have proof of the early Irish possessing 
hounds and spaniels, also a description of the greyhound written 
nearly two thousand years ago, but, so far as we know, no dog of 
the description of the collie, or even resembling him enough to 
enable us to form a correct idea of the breed from which he de- 
scended. This, however, does not prove that the collie was not in 
existence, for in ancient times few breeds save, those used in the 
chase were deemed worthy of notice. My opinion in regard to 
the collie's origin is, that he is the result of -careful selections sys- 
tematically carried on through a long series of years until the de- 
sired results were obtained. 

In sagacity he excels all others of the dog family. His is not 
the intelligence of the trick dog ; one look into his bright, wise 
eyes will tell you that antics and pranks are not for him, a dog's 
life is to him quite too serious a matter to be wasted in frivolities ; 
his mission is hard work ; he has duties to perform, as had gener- 
ations of his ancestors before him. Indeed, certain parts of Scot- 
land and England owe all their value for sheep-raising purposes to 
the collie. " Without him,'' wrote Hogg, the Ettrick shepherd, 
"the mountainous land of Scotland and England would not be worth 
six pence. It would require more hands to manage a flock of 
sheep, gather them from the hills, force them into houses and folds, 
and drive them to market, than the profits of the whole are capa- 
ble of maintaining." Collies are valued very highly in their native 
country, and the highest praise a Scotch shepherd can pass on a 
collie is that he is "gey wyse "; i. e., very wise. Mr. Hogg says 
that " a single shepherd and his dog will accomplish more ingath- 
ering a flock of sheep from a Highland farm than twenty shep- 
herds could do without dogs ; in fact, that without this docile an- 



THE FASHIONABLE COLLIE. 55 

imal, pastoral life would be a mere blank. He it is that earns 
the family bread of which he is himself content with the smallest 
morsel, always grateful and always ready to exert his utmost abil- 
ities in his master's interests. Neither hunger, fatigue nor the 
worst treatment will drive him from his side, and he will follow 
him through every hardship without murmuring or repining. If 
one of them is obliged to change masters, it is sometimes long be- 
fore he will acknowledge his new owner or condescend to work for 
him with the willingness that he did for his former lord ; but if 
he once acknowledges him, he continues attached to him until 
death."* 

We have a touching instance of the love existing between the 
shepherd and his dog in the simple tale of the shepherd Colin and 
his dog Tray. Both were old and feeble, and Tray, dying, licked 
Colin's hand. The sorrow of the old shepherd on the death of his 
favorite is well described by Peter Pindar, who tells us— 

" Not long after Tray did the shepherd remain, 

Who oft o'er his grave with true sorrow would bend ; 
And when dying thus feebly was heard the poor swain, 
' Oh, bury me, neighbors, beside my poor friend.' " 

Well may the owner feel an interest in his shepherd dog. He 
is the only dog on the farm that earns his bread. Among dogs I 
do not believe there are more than three or four breeds which pay 
in dollars and cents for their keep, and among these few breeds 
not one in a dozen is anything but a nuisance. Well-trained collies 
are not only of great value as a breed, but ninety-five per cent, of 
the individuals are worth to their owners in cash from ten to one 
hundred dollars per year. In fact, the value of a well-trained col- 
lie on a large sh^eep ranch can not be estimated by dollars and cents. 
In a letter I received from a gentleman a few weeks since, he says a 
well-trained collie is worth more to him than a man on horseback. 

In the wild moorlands of Scotland, abounding in deep, treacher- 
ous morasses, and visited by pitiless storms of snow, the service of 

-"The Ettrick Shepherd has probably spolcen somewhat too en- 
thusiastically of his dog; but accounts of the sagacity and almost 
supei-human fidelity of this dog crowd so rapidly upon us that we 
are compelled to admire and to love him."— Hogg's " Shepherd's Cal- 
endar," Vol. II., p. 308. 



56 THE FASHIONABLE COIiLIE. 

the collie is almost indispensable, and they sometimes have most 
arduous duties to perform. The hardy, black-faced sheep that 
have existed on the bleak mountains of Scotland for centuries, are 
frequently lost and completely buried in drifts of snow, where 
they often remain for several days. The sagacious collie is found 
very useful in locating them in the snowdrifts. With his keen 
scent he will locate a sheep in several feet of snow. 

Sir Walter Scott, who knew pastoral life so well, gives in his in- 
troduction to "Marmion," Canto IV., the following poetic yet ac- 
curate description of the life of the Scotch shepherd : 

'' The sounds that drive wild deer and lox 
To shelter in the brake and rocks, 
Are warnings which the shepherd ask 
To dismal and to dangerous task. 
Oft he looks forth, and hopes in vain 
The blast may sink in mellowing rain; 
Till, dark above and white below, 
Decided drives the flaky snow. 
And forth the hardy swain must go. 
Long, with dejected look and whine. 
To leave the hearth his dogs repine; 
Whistling and cheering them to aid. 
Around his back he wreathes the plaid; 
And, facing to the tempest's sweep, 
Drives through the gloom his lagging sheep." 

Mr. Hogg draws the following curious parallel between the col- 
lie sheep-dog and the cottager's collie: ''An exceedingly good 
sheep-dog attends to nothing but the particular brancli of business 
to which he is bred. His whole capacity is exerted and exhausted 
in it, and he is of little avail in miscellaneous matters ; whereas a 
very indifferent dog, bred about the house, and accustomed to assist 
in everything, will often put the more noble breed to disgrace in 
tiiese little services. If some one calls out that the cows are in the 
corn or the hens in the garden, the house collie needs no other 
hint, but runs and turns them out. The shepherd's dog knows 
not what is astir, and, if he is called out in a hurry for such work, 
all that he will do is to run to the hill, or rear himself on his 
haunches to see that no sheep are running away. A well-bred 
sheep-dog, if coming hungry from the hills, and getting into a 



THE FASHIONABLE COLLIE. 57 

milk-house, would likely think of nothing else than filling his belly 
with the cream. In fact, he seems to think that is the only way in 
which he can collect his wages for the work he does ; so steal he 
will, without a quiver of the eye or a cessation of wag to his tail. 
Therefore we caution the good housewife to look sharp that the 
door to the milk-house is securely closed, or there will be sorrow 
in the household — and very likely to the dog. Not so his initialed 
brother: he is bred at home to far higher principles of honor. I 
have known such lie night and day among from ten to twenty pails 
full of milk, and never once break the cream of one of them with 
the tip of his tongue, nor would he suffer cat, rat, or any other 
creature, to touch it." 

Since the institution of bench shows, there has been too great a 
tendency to breed for type alone, and too little care to preserve 
the working instinct, and, as a consequence, some winners at the 
shows are of slight use as drivers. The show collie, being un- 
trained, is losing intelligence, and a good judge can readily distin- 
guish the untrained dog from the intelligent and well taught, by 
the fatuous look the idle life of the former develops. The breed- 
ing for show alone is having a deteriorating influence on the coKie. 
I think the placing of dogs, which breeders have improved in 
appearance for exhibition, in the hands of our working shepherds 
who are scattered over our lonely hillsides and prairies, and the 
drafting of clever, good-looking, practical working dogs from the 
shepherds to recruit the stock of exhibitors, might prove of mutual 
benefit to both. The English Kennel Gazette says: "Fanciers, 
locust-like, appear to have settled on the collie, and have recently 
determined that a collie shall have an enormous head, an enormous 
coat, and enormous limbs, and that by these three 'points' shall he 
stand or fall in the judging-ring; so they have commenced to graft 
on to the breed the jaw of an alligator, the coat of an Angora goat, 
and the clumsy bone of a St. Bernard. A 'cobby' dog with short 
neck, straight thick shoulders, hollow back, and small straight tail, 
but graced with a very long snout and a very heavy jacket, is 
already common at our shows, and increases and multiplies. In 
the advertising columns of the doggy papers can be read the exulta- 
tion of the 'collie-fancier' at his pet's 'immense bone,' 'enormous 



58 THE FASHIONABLE 'cOIiLIE. 

coat,' and so on. I therefore think it high time that the public 
be reminded of what a collie was formerly, and what the Collie 
Club's recognized standard says that he ought to be even now. 
First of all, the collie is intended for use, for definite work, and, as 
soon as we find ourselves breeding dogs that can not gallop, jump, 
'rough it,' aye! and think, too, we may be certain that, whatever we 
may have got hold of, it is not a sheep-dog; and with the disap- 
pearance of his workmanlike attributes vanish also his social vir- 
tues and his beauty. But let us consider a few of his points — 
those which are in more immediate danger of being misunderstood 
— in detail. The under-coat, without doubt, should be very thick 
and furry, and the outer coat also should be well developed. But 
an excessive length and weight of it can only be a hindrance to the 
dog's movements. The skull should be flat and rather broad, 
because brain room is required, a greyhound skull being manifestly 
a foolish one. The collie's muzzle should be fine and tapering, 
because, though the dog may be required occasionally to 'nip' a 
sheep to make it move, a severe wound would be calamitous ; a 
greyhound-jaw is designed for killing. As to general shape, the 
collie should be a lightly built dog, of medium size, wonderfully 
active, wiry in his movements, free and sweeping in his form, that 
he may be able to go at racing pace over rough ground, and jump 
any obstacles in his path. He must have long, oblique shoulders, 
deep, narrow chest, loin somewhat arched, a fair length of leg, 
with a fair amount of oval-shaped bone, and perfect balance every- 
where. As he should show no relationship to the greyhound in 
skull or jaw, so, also, should he be free from trace of setter in ear 
and tail. The former should be small and semi-erect, but a prick- 
ear is preferable to one carried on the cheek ; the latter should be 
carried low, but should be long and have the 'upward swirl' at the 
end." 

The coat of the collie is of great importance and one of the 
special characteristics of the breed. The outer coat consists of long, 
thin hair of coarse texture, and the under-coat of very thick, close, 
soft hair, which in black dogs is of a light color, often showing 
through the thin outer coat ; the two together are impermeable to 
rain. On the jaw, face, skull, and on the front and inside of legs, 



THE FASHIONABLE COLME. 59 

the hair is short and smooth, but from the angle of the jaw and 
round immediately at the back of the skull it is very long, and 
round the throat it turns upwards and forwards, and round the 
neck and throat forms a decided ruff or frill. On the whole of the 
body the coat stands well out because of the abundance of the 
under-coat. It should not be curly, but present a level and flat 
appearance. The hair on the hams and tail is long and very abund- 
ant. There are also smooth-coated collies, the hair being short 
and thick and very weather-resisting, for the collie's duties compel 
him to be out on the windy moors and bleak hillsides in all kinds 
of weather, and "to bide the pelting of the pitiless storm" when — 

" The shepherd shifts his mantle fold. 
And wraps him closer from the cold; 
His dogs no merry circles wheel, 
But shivering follow at his heel; 
A cowering glance they often cast, 
As deeper moans the gathering blast." 

The collie's coat depends entirely upon climate and the circum- 
stances in life in which he is placed. In southern latitudes the 
rough-coated will breed back to smooth coat in four generations, 
unless there are frequent importations made. The poet Burns de- 
scribes the color of the collie as black and white. Bingley (1809) 
also colors his collies black and white, and that is about as far back 
as we can get in regard to color. All of the drawings and color- 
ings are so faithful in Bingley that we must rely upon black and 
white being the original color. In the early days of dog shows the 
black and tan color was very fashionable. It is thought by some 
that this is the true original color of the collie ; others affirm the 
black and tan color was produced or improved by crossing the col- 
lie with the black and tan, or Gordon setter. Mr. Wrn. Ark- 
wright says : " It is an open secret that just before this period the 
shepherds on the Scotch hills, admiring the fervid coloring of the 
Gordon setters brought near them in the shooting season, had begun 
to use these dogs to their collie bitches whenever they got a chance. 
Hence those setter characteristics were to be observed in the show 
collies of the day, which continue to predominate in many parts of 



60 THE FASHIONABIiE COLLIE. 

the Highlands to the present time. But the collie lovers, whether 
from inspection of old pictures or from evolution of inner 
consciousness, after a time became distrustful of the sunset beau- 
ties of 'tan,' and the ear which might afterwards serve as a saddle- 
flap, and commenced to reform the show-dog judiciously enough. 
But just at this transition period, when men's opinions were thor- 
oughly unhinged, there appeared in our midst a dog of chestnut- 
bronze color, called ' Vero.' Every one raved about the animal. 
His color, besides the charm of novelty, was aesthetically beautiful ; 
his head, though effeminate, was good, and his ears were small and 
well carried ; beyond these points, there was not much to praise in 
him. 'Vero's' own career was that of the meteor, brilliant but 
brief — he emerged from obscurity and disappeared whence he 
came ; but the appetite for those harmonious, ruddy shadings was 
excited by him, and has since not known satiety. With marvelous 
quickness came pouring in the red collie from all sides to supply 
the demand, and as soon as the task of judging became more diffi- 
cult from there being more of this complexion than prizes in the 
classes, semi-erect ears, a crafty face and a thick coat were the ad- 
ditional qualities sought for. Such was the infancy of the modern 
type, which fills the classes with ever-increasing numbers." 

Oar opinion in regard to this crossing is, that the contrary was 
the case, and that the black and tan, or Gordon setter, has been 
greatly improved by being judiciously crossed with the Highland 
sheep-dog, and we have numerous instances in which the collie 
sheep-dog has been introduced into sporting kennels for stud pur- 
poses. About eighty years ago a gentleman, in order to improve 
his hunting dogs, paid £20 ($100) for a collie, which at that time 
was considered a very high price for a sheep-dog. Rawdon Lee, 
in his book on the collie, says : ''My opinion is that no variety of 
dog in the British Isles can boast of purer blood, or possibly blood 
so pure as that of the collie." Hugh Dalziel, in his history of the 
collie, also alludes to the setter cross. He tells the story of the 
Scotch shepherd on the hillside falling in love with "Idstone's'' 
Gordon setters, and saying he would ''like a cross o' yin o' them 
wi' his collie, for they would throw unco braw whalps." Dalziel 
evidently does not believe in the alleged cross, for he says : " O Id- 



THE FASHIONABLE COLLtE. 61 

stone ! Idstone ! how could you let my countryman draw the white 
feather over your eyes so ? The ' pawky auld carle ' had ulterior 
designs on your whisky flask, and was not unmindful of the 
proverb, ' Love me, love my dog ; ' but a shepherd who would 
make such a proposition in earnest is not fit to take care of a hirsel." 
The collie's usefulness is too well known, and his services too 
highly valued, to admit of experiments in crossing which would 
doubtless spoil him for the work for which he is required, and for 
which, in his present state, he is so well adapted. We believe the 
collie to be a pure and distinct breed, and will continue to be so. 

At present a majority of the noted champion collies are of sable 
color, still that grand old black and tan champion of England, 
Eutland, is able to hold his own against new-comers. Although 
color is not valued so highly in this breed as in some others, there 
is usually one which is the prevailing fashion. At the present 
time the large kennels in this country are trying to produce white 
collies by close inbreeding of the light-colored ones, but most of 
them have dark ears or spots on the body. Although pure white 
collies are scarcely to be desired, they may possibly become the 
fashion from the fact that a pure white puppy has been presented 
to Queen Victoria. The Queen has always been a great lover of 
dogs, and has done more to foster a kindly and humane feeling 
towards dumb animals than any reigning monarch in the world. 
The white collie referred to was bred by Messrs. J. and W. H. 
Charles, of Warwickshire, England. His sire, "The Squire," and 
his dam, "Betty," are of the most fashionable pedigree. 

In general appearance the collie, as a breed, is clear and dis- 
tinct from any other breed of our domestic dogs. His motion or 
action ought to be that of the wolf or fox, as light upon his feet as 
though his muscles were springs of steel, his glances as sharp and 
animated as flashes of lightning. He should be light and graceful, 
giving the idea of great speed capacity, and altogether a handsome 
dog — one that poets have celebrated in their verse and artists loved 
to paint. Sir Walter Scott and the immortal Burns make frequent 
mention of them. The great masterpiece of the artist Landseer, 
called "The Old Shepherd's Chief Mourner," represents a collie 
sitting in a dejected attitude, his chin resting lovingly on the coffin , 



62 'THE FASHIONABLE COLLTfi. 

which encloses the remains of his master. The collie's bearing is 
dainty and natty, as that of the fox. Nor does the likeness end 
there. Take the human-like intelligence ascribed to the hero of 
the old romance, Keynard the Fox — let the craft and duplicity be 
refined and transmuted into devotion to his master, and you have 
the characteristics of the collie's nature. 

The clever, cunning appearance of the collie should be due as 
much to the expression of the eye as to the shape of the head, as 
the Esquimaux dog has an air of cunning (but villainous cunning) 
in his oblique eyes. The cunning and craftiness of the collie is of 
a superior order, and displays considerable reasoning power. The 
nearer he comes to moving like a fox and looking like a wolf, the 
nearer you will approach the dog found among the sheep of Scot- 
land. The disposition of the collie is as marked as his physical 
characteristics. Some of the writers upon dogs who wish us to 
think they know everything about every breed of dog, tell us that 
the collie is of a cross and surly disposition. This is a falsehood ; 
he is all kindness and affection. Put a dog of any breed out upon 
a desolate stretch of pasture, day after day and month after month, 
and when approached by a stranger he will manifest his suspicion 
and mistrust. But let a collie be placed in the same walks of Jife 
as other dogs, and he will far exceed them in general aptitude and 
intelligence. For the use of the farm, it will be conceded by all 
this is the distinctively appropriate breed. 

A. well-trained and experienced collie appears to rule a flock of 
sheep by force of his dominant nature, just as a good horseman 
controls a horse. He is often equally successful in managing un- 
ruly cattle, and sometimes exercises the same supremacy over other 
dogs. Dr. Lewis says : ''The increased vigor that is now given to 
the cultivation of sheep to supply the necessary demands of the 
numerous woolen factories springing up in every quarter, renders 
the services of this faithful creature absolutely indispensable, 
not only as a guardian of the flocks, but as a mere expedient of 
economy. Many portions of our country, now lying idle, particu- 
larly the mountainous ranges, are pecularly adapted for the graz- 
ing of sheep, and we are destined not only to supply the world 
with cotton, but may hope ere long to add to our national wealth 
the other equally valuable staple commodity, that of wool." 



THE FASHIONABLE COLLIE. 63 

In Australia the shepherds delight in having well-bred dogs, 
and devote immense care and patience to their education. Their 
animals are all more or less collies (called, by the way, in the bush, 
coolies), very often come of good imported strains, and are often 
exceedingly handsome and clever. Mr. M. Roberts, writing to 
the London Field in regard to dogs in Australia, says : " I have 
seen many decent horses sold for less than the price of a sheep- 
dog of any reputation. I have heard £15 asked for a thoroughly 
trained, well-bred bitch who was exceptionally clever. The 
training of pups usually commences as-soon as they are able to walk. 
In the bush, being naturally on a sheep station, they see their 
future charges every day, and frequently watch the elder dogs 
working. It is amusing to note the instinct showing itself at a 
very early stage ; a young puppy of mine, called Bo'sun, volun- 
tarily took charge of a small mob of rams, having previously had no 
experience at all, and I have frequently seen similar instances. 
The things the older dogs do verge sometimes on the marvelous. 
I remember, when mustering the sheep on Dora Station, a very 
beautiful bitch, owned by a man in the place, brought, with a 
young puppy of her own, a large number of sheep to the meeting- 
place and then disappeared. I asked her owner were she was, 
and he answered that he did not know, but that she would prob- 
ably turn up directly. In half an hour we saw a small flock of 
about 250 coming down a gully on to the little plain, and behind 
them was Flo. She had noticed them in the distance when bring- 
ing down the others, but evidently distrusted her son's capabilities 
of managing the large flock. She was quite ready to take charge 
of any number for hours together, and we could be quite sure none 
would stray while she was about. There was no other dog on the 
station who knew it as she did ; indeed, though it was a mass of 
hills, she seemed acquainted with every gulch about it. Yet I ad- 
mired the dogs even more on the great plains in the Lachlan Back 
Blocks, where sheep were numbered in tens and hundreds of thou- 
sands. Few people in this country have ever seen 20,000 sheep 
together, and can scarcely imagine what a space of country they 
cover when they are being slowly driven along at a rate which 
permits them to feed. Yet my own dog Sancho, at Mossgiel, 



() I: THE FASHIONABLE COLLIE. 

would handle so many with the greatest ease ; indeed, the more 
they were the better he seemed pleased. As a matter of fact, I 
must acknowledge he was not much good with a very small num- 
ber. But when I was riding on an endless plain, with the flock 
spreading out two miles, he would watch for me to wave my hand 
when all shouting was useless by distance. When he was so far 
off that I could not distinguish him, I knew well that he was look- 
ing out for the signal of a fluttering handkerchief to the right or 
left, and that he could discern a different motion which meant 
'That will do.' When the flock was set in the right direction, he 
would make a long bend to come to me, and without any orders 
keep each wing up, first going half a mile to the left and then as 
far to the right." 

The collie is one of the coming dogs in America. If he were 
better known, and his usefulness on the farm were more widely 
appreciated, he would soon supplant the curs of low degree ; and 
as a faithful, intelligent, almost human guardian, he would watch 
over and attend flocks of sheep in districts where now, because of 
the midnight forages of mutton-hungry mongrels, sheep can not 
be raised. They are pre-eminently the farmer's dog, but if any 
one is in need of a faithful, intelligent servant or companion, let 
him get a collie. His chief charm as a companion is his great af- 
fection and strong attachment. They are ever anxious to please, 
which is shown by the way they watch every look and motion and 
listen to every word by which they may interpret their master's 
wishes, and the readiness with which they obey. The collie soon 
adapts himself to his surroundings, and, whether we find him gal- 
loping on the vast ranges of Australia, or busy working among the 
glittering rocks and trackless deserts of the West, or in more fash- 
ionable life gently walking in the bustling thoroughfares of our 
great cities, or, perhaps, sedately promenading the avenues with 
his master's family, he seems to be just as happy in his new abode 
as in his native home on the northern hills, amid fern and heather, 
with a bed in the corner of his master's plaid, left hanging loose 
for the purpose. 

The collie is to-day the most fashionable dog in England, and is 
fast becoming fashionable in this country. The importation, 



THE FASHIONABLE COLLIE. 65 

breeding and sale of this variety of dog has grown into an exten- 
sive business. Several hundred choice specimens have been im- 
ported ; the collie classes at the bench shows have been creditably 
filled and have shown that the breed is rapidly growing in num- 
bers and quality. 

In closing my remarks upon this breed of dog, I recommend 
him most heartily to the consideration of the reader. I do not 
speak from hearsay, or from knowledge derived from books, but 
from practical experience, having owned collies for nearly a dozen 
years. The only faults you will find in the collie will arise from 
his extreme restlessness and activity. He will drive the chick- 
ens, he will stand guard over the geese, he will be here one min- 
ute and there the next, looking into this corner and poking his 
nose into that, forever on the move ; in fact, among all breeds of 
dogs he can truthfully be nicknamed the "policeman," as his eyes 
are forever looking into everything, but at the same time he is not 
at all too headlong in getting into a scrimmage. Lovers of the 
poet Burns will enjoy these lines, descriptive of a typical collie, 
liis own dog, Luath : 

" He was a gash and faithful tyke 
As ever lap a sleugh or dyke ; 
His honest, sonsie, bawns'nt face 
Aye gat him. friends in ilka place ; 
His breast was white, his touzie back 
Weel clad wi' coat o' glossy black ; 
His gawsie tail wi' upward curl 
Hvmg ower his hurdles wi' a swirl.". 

DESCRIPTION OF ILLUSTRATIONS — SENSATIONAL PRICES. 

The well-known Charlemagne, represented in frontispiece, is 
considered by many good judges to be the best collie of all times. 
His successes at the stud have been quite equal to that of any collie 
that either preceded or has followed him. He commands the 
highest stud fee ever paid for a collie, viz.: $100, and is valued at 
$50,000, which is not merely a fictitious value, for his income in 
the stud more than equals that amount. Extremely high bids 
have been made for Charlemagne, and dogs of much the same 
blood have been claimed at what must be considered extraordi- 



66 THK FASHIONABLE COLLIE. 

nary figures. Charlemagne is sable and white in color, with 
evenly placed and well-carried ears, and bright and intelligent in 
expression. He won the sixty-guinea challenge cup at the show 
held in Holborn, February, 1890. The old veteran was over 
eleven years old, and, it is said, looked more like his grandsire. 
Cookie, than ever. Almost all the best collies of the present day 
are descended from old Cockie, who was considered the best dog 
of his day. 

Our next illustration is an exact likeness of that grand old En- 
glish champion collie, Kutland. He is a splendid specimen of the 
black and tan color, of beautiful formation, and possessing all 
the attributes of a show-dog. He is the winner of over twenty-five 
champion prizes and sixteen cups, and is already the sire of nearly 
one hundred first-prize winners. Eutland is a dog of that class 
that the more you look at him the better you are pleased. On his 
sire's side he has a double strain of the famous old Cockie ; on the 
other side, his pedigree traces back — as so many show-dogs do — to 
Mr. S. E. Shirley's kennels, through Tricolor, a younger brother 
of the more celebrated Trifoil, who is to the collie what Kysdyk's 
Hambletonian was to the high-bred trotting horse. The name of . 
Trifoil, says an authority, will ever be known as the source from 
whence sprung the modern typical fancy collie. Rutland, who was 
given away when a puppy, and afterwards sold at auction for 
$12.50, was eventually sold for the sum of $1,250. His head, ears 
and general form are first-class, and these, with his other good 
qualities, he in many cases transmits to his progeny, and Eutland 
blood is still in great demand. 

The illustration on page 70 ,is that of the celebrated sable-colored 
collie champion. Eclipse (E. K. C. S. B. 12949), owned by Mr. G. 
K. Krehl, London, England. He was claimed at Birmingham 
show, when a puppy, at the catalogue price of $500, which was 
then considered a very high price, but he proved to his owner a 
financial success. Eclipse is a handsome dog of great intelligence 
and lovely disposition, and no one need desire a nicer dog as a 
companion and household pet, for which purpose the collie has 
gradually drifted to our great commercial centers. Eclipse is one 
of the most typical collies ever bred, and unequaled as a stud dog. 



THE FASHIOBTABLE COLLIE. 69 

The English Kennel Gazette says: ''It is remarkable that his 
progeny are all of sable color, no matter what the color of the dam 
may be." 

The Kev. Hans Hamilton's sable and white collie, Peggie II. 
(of which an engraving appears on opposite page), is the dam of 
bench-show winners, and is particularly noted as being the dam of 
champion Christopher, who was placed over his sire, Mitchley 
Wonder, for the challenge prize, at the Liverpool show in Febru- 
ary, 1890. He was afterwards purchased for .American kennels 
for 13,500 in cash, and two other noted champion collies, valued 
at $750 each, so it can be said that the immense sum of |5,000 was 
paid for this handsome son of Peggie II. This is the highest 
price ever paid for a non-sporting dog excepting for a St. Bernard, 
and such a price has never been paid for a sporting dog excepting 
the English greyhound. 

The noted bench-show winner, Mitchley Wonder, referred to 
above, is said to have been sold by Mr. Boddington for $2,650. 

Caractacus, another noted collie, created quite a sensation in 
the canine world in 1888. He was at the time nine months old, 
and was on exhibition at the Liverpool show, where he won first 
prize in the puppy class and was claimed by several gentlemen at 
the catalogue price, $500. This being the case, the dog was put 
up at auction and became the property of Mr. Megson, of Man- 
chester, but not until the immense sum of $1,750 had been bid for 
him. 

These prices, Avhich are now quite common, would have been 
considered by our forefathers fabulous sums to pay for what in 
their day was ofttimes refused as a gift. American breeders have 
from time to time purchased some of the best collie blood of Eng- 
land and Scotland, which is greatly improving the breed in this 
country. At the first exhibition of the Westminster Kennel Club, 
held in New York in 1870, only eight collies were entered. From 
this date the increase has been steady, until, in February, 1890, 
the entries reached 117. And a grand lot they were, having im- 
proved in quality as well as increased in number. 




Sable-Colored Collie Champion, Eclipse (E. K. C. S. B. 12949). 



CHAPTER IV. 

TRAINING SHEPHERD DOGS— HOUSE OR YARD TRAINING. 

"Whatever is worth doing at all, is worth doing well."— X>r. Johnson. 

When a clog becomes a member of civilized society he is doomed 
to undergo a more or less rigid course of instruction to educate 
him "in the way he should go." His education may consist in 
teaching him as much as he is capable of learning, or merely in 
teaching him the things necessary to make him a good house or 
watch dog. The shepherd dog is a wonderfully intelligent animal, 
and can be trained to his work to a degree that it seems to be 
gifted with almost human intelligence. It is some work to train a 
shepherd dog. No animal will perform duties that require special 
intelligence without special training. Of course they inherit a 
'Halent." The laws of heredity operate wonderfully. Miles cites 
many instances. The shepherd dog is remarkable for its sagacity 
and the persistence with which it carries out the wishes of its mas- 
ter ; and it would be difficult, if not impossible, to train dogs of 
any other breeds to equal them in their special duties. The dis- 
positions of dogs remain true to their natural instincts, and, though 
now and again a specimen of one variety may perform duties which 
essentially are those of another breed, the broad fact remains that 
the original race are, as a whole, vastly to be preferred for the 
work. The greyhound still hunts by sight as in the days of Arrian, 
and the bloodhound by scent, and their offspring all inherit the 
same peculiarities. Both the foxhound and setter have the quality 
of acute scent, but the foxhound pays no attention to the bird 
track, while the setter does not notice the fox track. The differ- 
ence has been bred into these two breeds of dogs by the intelligence 
of their breeders for a century or more. Cross these breeds, and 

(71) 



72 TEAININa SHEPHERD DOGS. 

their special characteristics are spoiled. Mongrels do not and can 
not possess the intelligence of the thoroughbred. 

It is a matter of much more difficulty and importance to learn 
how to train a sheep-dog than to discover it-^-ai he should be taught. 
The collie is controlled not only by instinct, but by a higher intel- 
ligence, which, when properly developed, often enables it to meet 
emergencies for which mere instinct would be entirely inadequate. 
It should therefore be the purpose of the teacher to train the men- 
tal faculties of the pupil, to give him a liberal education, rather 
than to teach him a series of automatic tricks. The first step is to 
secure the respect and affection of the pupil, so that he will be 
anxious to anticipate his master's demands, and to do his bidding. 
Kindness and imperturbable patience are virtues the teacher must 
exercise. He should persist in his efforts until the pupil thor- 
oughly understands what is required of him, and he ought never 
to be punished to compel him to learn, or for failing to do what 
he does not understand, but only for refusing to do what he already 
thoroughly knows. The cruelties that are perpetrated on puppies 
during the course of their education, or breaking-in, are sometimes 
infamous^ Young dogs, like young, people, must be to a certain 
degree coerced ; but these animals receive from nature so great an 
aptitude for learning, and practicing that which we require of 
them, and their own pleasure is so much connected with what they 
learn, that there is no occasion for one-tenth part of the correction 
that is occasionally inflicted ; and the frequent consequence of the 
cruelty to which they are subjected is cowardice or ferocity during 
life. 

Only one thing should be taught at a time, and not until it is 
thoroughly mastered should another be undertaken. The puppy 
should be shown, in the simplest way, what his master wants him 
to do, and the thing to be done should be associated in his mind 
with a very brief command, or, if possible, with a single word. 
You must have patience and devote time to it. Don't expect him 
to learn faster than a child could, with as limited a way of com- 
municating ideas as exists between you and your pupil. A dog 
understands actions better than words, therefore you should use 
your hand in giving directions, and always take him with you and 



HOUSE OR YARD TRAINING. 73 

let him see you do the work expected of him before you attempt to 
teach him to do it alone. You should always use the same word in 
giving the same order ; thus you should not say bring, one time, 
and fetch, another. For different orders use as different sounding 
words as possible. When there is much difficulty in teaching the 
dog his lesson, the fault lies as often with the master as with him ; 
or they are, generally speaking, both in fault. The majority of ■ 
dogs are exceedingly sagacious. They possess strong reasoning 
powers ; they understand, by intuition, almost every want and wish 
of their master, and they deserve the kindest and best usage. 

Make as far as possible a friend and companion of the puppy, 
for the more he is with you, the handier he will be. You should 
select him when quite young, and engraft upon his nature obedi- 
ence. If possible, give him a large yard on the ground, with a 
warm kennel or box in which to sleep. A part of the time he 
should have his liberty, that he may become accustomed to the 
stock and poultry. He should only be petted and fed by the hand 
of his master ; all other members of the family should be strictly 
forbidden to cultivate his affections. By selecting him when young, 
before he has contracted any bad habits, it will be easier to train 
him. As soon as you have gained his affection, begin by teaching 
him a few simple things, which should be done in his yard, or it 
may be done in the house on winter evenings. It will be a pleas- 
ant pastime, and will be much easier for both master and pupil 
than putting him entirely uneducated to practical field work. He 
may be taught to "come," to ''lie down," to ''speak" and to jump 
''over." If he has thoroughly learned these things, and is obedi- 
ent, your work will be greatly lessened when you take him into the 
field. The bitch is generally more acute in learning, though the 
dog will bear the greater fatigue. The quietly disposed shepherd 
mostly prefers the bitch, but is careful about working her when in 
pup. There are several modes of training — different ways of ac- 
complishing the same end. I simply propose to suggest the plan 
that seems most simple to myself, which I have learned from my 
own experience and the suggestions of others. 

The first thing is to teach him his name. If you intend to train 
him for work in the field, his name should be short, for long names 



74 TRAINING SHEPHERD DOGS. 

are hard to pronounce when rapid action is necessary. He should 
early be accustomed to the use of the collar and chain, as a long 
string attached to the pup's neck will often be of service in the 
course of his training; you can then check him if he is very high- 
lifed, as well as make him more easily acquainted with the language 
and various evolutions which are necessary in a well-trained shep- 
herd dog. The collar should be a wide one, and should be worn 
several days before the chain is attached. The chain should have 
two or three swivels to prevent the links from kinking. You can 
attach a light chain to his collar, and let him run about his yard 
for a day or two ; then you can take him out for a good run in the 
fields, following at a short distance and allowing him to roam at 
his own sweet will. In a day or two you can commence to regulate 
his actions. The restraint must be very slight at first ; entice him 
along, and, if needs be, reward him with a piece of cracker or 
cheese whenever he ceases to strain and pull, and he will soon trot 
along like an old dog. There is nothing more unpleasant to see 
than a full-grown dog with his tail between his legs being dragged 
along by his master. It is best to give the puppy his first lesson in 
the yard to which he has been accustomed, as the irrepressible 
collie's eyes seem to be everywhere and his nose poking into every- 
thing, and strange surroundings are sure to attract his attention. 
Be sure to give him his lesson when you will be undisturbed, recol- 
lecting that the presence of company (man or dog) should be pro 
hibited, that the puppy may give his full attention to his lesson 
without anything to distract his attention. His first lesson should 
be to "come in." To teach him the words "come in," you sltould 
use it on all occasions when a short distance from you. You may 
use it when you call him to feed him ; you may also let him accom- 
pany you in a walk, having a small cord twenty to thirty foot long 
attached to his collar. Should he run too far ahead, check him, 
and cry '^Come in!" If he pavs little attention to the summons, 
draw him in rather roughly by the cord, at the same time crying 
''Come in!" 

Your pupil's next lesson is to "lie down." He is made to un- 
derstand this by gently forcing him down, keeping his hind legs 
well up under him, extending his fore legs, and forcing his head 



HOUSE OR YARD TRAINING. 75 

gently between them, crying ' * Lie down ! " Put him in as natural 
a position as possible, always crying "Lie down ! " and practice 
him in this position until he fully understands the command. 
Now, to make him drop at the word, you should cry " Lie down ! 
Lie down ! " with your hand upraised, gently forcing him into the 
required position, and by frequent practice you will soon have 
him drop at the word. When you wish him to rise, cry " Come 
in ! " When your dog behaves well, never fail to encourage him 
with caresses. When he thoroughly understands the word "Lie 
down !" and will ''lie down" at your command, you should bid 
him " Lie down," and go some distance from him. On the slight- 
est inclination on the part of the dog to get up, you should go 
back, crying ''Lie down ! " Then again go a little distance from 
him, and continue this until you can go any distance from him, 
and he will continue to "lie down" until he receives the com- 
mand " Come in ! " 

Having learned this lesson, we will proceed by teaching him to 
" speak." This will greatly add to his accomplishments, and will 
be needed later on when introduced into the field. Having pro- 
vided yourself with a piece of beef, you can commence this lesson 
by holding it just out of his reach, at the same time teasing him 
with it, and bidding him "Speak ! " After awhile, growing im- 
patient in his desire for the meat, he will whine, when you should 
make a great ado and fuss, which will most likely make him bark ; 
if it does not, imitate, as near as you can, the bark of a dog, which 
rarely fails of the desired results. At the slightest approach to a 
bark, he should be immediately rewarded with the meat. By 
persevering in this way, he will soon understand what you mean, 
and give a good bark. Do not expect to see a great deal of im- 
provement from the early lessons. The dog will often forget that 
which was inculcated upon him a few hours before ; but persever- 
ance and kindness will effect much. The first lessons over, the 
dog, beginning to perceive a little what is meant, will cheerfully 
and joyfully do his duty. I usually begin my first lessons with 
the aid of beef, on account of the dog's great love for it, and be- 
cause he is much more apt to learn his lessons for such a prize. 
Always perfect your pupil in one lesson before commencing an- 



76 TRAINING SHEPHERD DOGS. 

other, and do not tire him by continuing the lesson too long at a 
time. A puppy is naturally restless and hates restraint, and his 
education must be carried on slowly. There is one thing that can 
not be too forcibly impressed on the trainer of young puppies, 
and that is, never to use severity at this tender age. The majority 
of puppies are only too willing to do as you wish them when they 
understand what your wishes are ; you should bear in mind lie 
does not understand the language. We may as well give a child 
an order in an unknown tongue, and then punish him for not 
executing it, as to punish a puppy for not doing what he fails to 
understand. He should never be punished until he has age, and 
then only for willful disobedience. 

When you introduce the dog to practical field work, you will 
find a whistle very convenient to call him when he is out of sight, 
and also out of hearing of the sound of your voice. To teach 
him this is a very simple thing, and can be done when he is quite 
young. When he is lying quietly asleep, give a shrill whistle, at 
the same time holding in your hand a piece of beef. He will im- 
mediately look up, startled at the sound, and, seeing the meat, will 
come to you, when the meat should be given him After a time 
the meat may be omitted, and a kind word and gentle pat substi" 
tuted. 

We will take for our next lesson three terms — " Stop," "Steady," 
''Hie on." To commence, take a plate of beef, or such other 
food as he very much fancies, and place it before him. Of course, 
he evinces a great desire to " pitch in." You repress his ardor by 
putting on check cord, crying ''Stop!" Of course, he does not 
understand the word, but every time he starts, check him with the 
cord, crying "Stop!" with emphasis. After repeated trials, he 
soon associates the word with the pull on the cord, and slops. 
After a few seconds, cry "Hie on! " at the same time gently 
forcing him toward the plate. '"Hie on "he learns amazingly 
soon. A few such lessons, and the words are learned to be re- 
tained. The word "Steady" is now easily learned by making 
him approach the plate slowly, crying "Steady! Steady!" 
at short intervals. When near the plate, cry "Stop ! " never per- 
mitting him to eat until you cry " Hie on ! " He must understand 



HOUSE OR YARD TRAINING. 77 

that he is to move cautiously bj the oft-repeated command of 
" Steady! " " Steady " should not be used with the same emphasis 
as "Hie on." 

Another term that will add to the accomplishments of the 
puppy, as well as save trouble in the field, is "Over," a com- 
mand often necessary to make your dog cross fence. To teach 
him this, take a board a foot or more high, according to the age 
of the puppy, and place it so he can not get around it. Then take 
a piece of meat and throw it over the board, crying "Over! " 
He will most likely whine and try to go around the board, when 
you must push him gently towards it, crying " Over ! " Of course 
he does not understand it, but his desire for the meat will cause 
him to jump over. After you have practiced him some time with 
the board, take a common stick or cane, and throw the meat over 
as before. On no account allow him to creep under, but raise the 
stick to suit the puppy's jumping powers, and insist on him jump- 
ing before getting the meat. As the puppy progresses in his lesson 
you can raise the stick a little higher, until you can get him to 
jump quite a distance. You can also practice him when you have 
him out with you, and have occasion to cross a fence, by getting 
over yourself and crying " Over ! " This he will soon learn to do 
without other reward than the praises of his master. 

Our puppy's last lesson in yard-training will be "to heel." To 
learn him in the shortest space of time, take a strong stick that 
will not bend, about three or four feet long, and of convenient 
size. To the end of this fasten a small harness snap. With this 
fastened into the ring of his collar, he can be held in the position 
you wish him to occupy as you walk along. Place him directly 
behind you, crying " Heel ! " He will not like having to occupy 
this position, and may cause you some trouble, but be patient with 
him, bidding him be " Steady ! " and he will by degrees get used 
to it. Do not keep him long in this position, but be sure he is 
" steady " before letting him loose. When you unfasten the snap 
from his collar, cry " Hie on ! " This he will be sure to do with 
alacrity. After you have practiced him in this way until he will 
keep to "heel " without struggling to get free, use the check cord 
n place of the stick, at the same time carrying in your hand a 



78 TRAINING SHEPHERD DOGS. 

small switch. Then order him ''Heel!" as before. If he at- 
tempts to leave his place, give him a slight tap with the switch, cry- 
ing " Heel ! " He will soon find out he has to obey. After a time 
you may dispense with the check cord, but retain the switch until 
he will keep to "heel" until given the command, ''Hie on !" You 
will soon realize the benefit of this instruction when you introduce 
the puppy into the field, as you will not have to look about to 
see where he is or what he is doing, and run the risk of being 
driven wild and as hoarse as a raven. 

All of the foregoing instructions are of a preliminary character, 
and are intended for young dogs or puppies, as a preparation for 
the more arduous duties of the field. Trainers of young dogs differ 
in opinion in regard to this yard-training. Some think it is best 
to begin with a young dog, and take him directly into the field, 
while others think yard or house training is absolutely necessary 
to a dog's education. Our opinion is, it is best to take a young 
puppy, and give him thorough yard-training ; still, if it is not 
convenient to do this, we believe they can be successfully trained 
without it, and will devote the next chapter in giving full instruc- 
tion for the training of dogs in the field. 



CHAPTER V. 

TRAINING SHEPHERD DOGS — PRACTICAL FIELD WORK. 

"Waving his hat, the shepherd in the vale 
Directs his winding dog the cliffs to scale, 
That, harking, busy, 'mid the glittering rocks, 
Hunts, where he points, the intercepted flocks." 

— Wordsworth. 

The most that can be done in the way of conveying instruction 
in regard to the training of dogs without practical illustration is 
to state the results to be attained, together with aii outline of the 
mode by which to reach them. Your home may be toward the 
setting sun, on the great plains of the West, with the grand old 
mountains and trackless deserts always before you, or perchance 
you may live in the more thickly settled portions of the country — 
no matter where your lines may be cast, you will find in practice 
the details will necessarily vary very considerably. One will find 
this mode, another that, to be most efficient, besides which the 
disposition of the particular animal sought to be controlled will in 
a considerable degree affect the character of the training to which 
he is subjected. After all, the knowledge which is to be imparted 
to shepherd dogs is comprised in understanding a very few terms, 
and the great idea in their education is the enforcement of a 
prompt, unhesitating obedience to every command. If you have fol- 
lowed our instructions given in yard-training, and have thoroughly 
instilled into the mind of your pupil the terms we have given, 
your work in the field will be easy, compared to what it would 
have been had you waited until your puppy had age, and perhaps 
learned bad habits, and then taken him, entirely unacquainted with 
the language, into the field. You will also possess a knowledge of 
the disposition and temper of your pupil which will be a great 

( 79 ) 



80 TRAINING SHEPHERD DOGS. 

aid to you in perfecting him in the higher branches of his educa- 
tion. Much kindness and gentleness are certainly requisite when 
training the puppy. There is heedlessness in the young dog which 
is not readily got rid of until age has given him experience. He 
must not, however, be too severely corrected, or he may be spoiled 
for life. If considerable correction is sometimes necessary, it 
should be followed, at a little distance of time, by some kind 
usage. The memory of the suffering will remain ; but the feeling 
of attachment to the master will also remain, or rather be in- 
creased. The temper of a young dog must be almost as carefully 
studied as that of a human being. Timidity may be encouraged, 
and eagerness may be restrained, but affection must be the tie that 
binds him to his master, and renders him subservient to his will. 
In training a shepherd dog, it is necessary to first accustom him 
to your voice and to teach him by kindness, coupled with firmness, 
the work you wish him to do, rewarding him with a kind word or 
a pat on the head when he has done well. Let him know that 
you appreciate his conduct ; the dog very well knows when you 
are pleased. Talk to him as you would to a child, and you will be 
surprised to note how well he understands you. If you feel vexed, 
don't let the dog know it ; if he does not do right, go with him, 
and show him the way it is done ; do not be too impatient to have 
him do the work alone. The shepherd pup is much like a child ; 
he is a great imitator. It is as natural for a well-bred Scotch shepherd 
dog to work as to eat. The rules for his training are, to be kind, pa- 
tient and faithful in your instruction. No one should attempt to 
train a dog who is not possessed of patience and perseverance. 
Always be careful not to use harsh and severe measures, for if once 
the will is broken, the dog will ever afterward be timid and afraid 
to attempt anything for fear of punishment ; they seldom outgrow 
it. Continually whipping and scolding will render them utterly 
worthless, as it will any kind of dog. Give the most intelligent 
pup on earth to a coarse, brutal master, and he will turn out a 
worthless cur. If you are compelled to punish your dog for dis- 
obedience, do not call him to you, but go to him, or he will be 
afraid to come to you when you call him next time, for fear of 
getting a whipping, and may tuck his tail between his legs and go 



PRACTICAL FIELD WORK. 81 

home. A dog is greatly tempted to run away when he knows from 
the angry voice of his master that he is going to be punished. 
When the dog is chastised, see that he makes friends with you be- 
fore you let him go ; should he run off he may be cc>mpletely 
ruined. Some collies are of such a nervous disposition that they can 
not stand whipping, or even scolding, and the trainer must study 
the disposition of the dog he is handling, as the most intelligent 
dog may be spoiled by mismanagement in training. He will in a 
great measure act as his master does. If the shepherd treats the 
sheep with gentleness, and does not alloAV the dog to bite them, he 
will be a protector of the flock ; but should the shepherd be harsh 
and rough with the sheep, the dog will harrass and worry them. 
Many men professing to train young dogs display much ignorance 
in this respect, from which cause many dogs are made totally unfit 
for work. Never let him follow teams, or any one except those 
that attend the sheep. 

When you have got him trained to " come in " when told, then, 
and not till then, take him among sheep. You should drive the 
sheep to one particular point for a week or so, saying " Hie on !" 
but don't take any notice for a few days whether he drives or not, 
only go yourself and see that he is following you. When you get 
him to assist you in driving, you should encourage him all you can, 
as your chief point is gained. Train the dog to hand signals, be- 
cause when at a distance, and in windy weather, the dog can see 
the signals when he can not hear. Use your right hand or left 
hand as the case requires, whichever way you want him to go. 
When you are on an endless plain, with a large flock spread out 
sufficient to allow them to feed, the dog is sometimes so far off that 
he can not see the hand signals. You can then signal by fluttering 
a handkerchief to the right or left. A hand or handkerchief held 
up, he will soon understand to mean " That will do." In time you 
will teach him the meaning of the word " Steady." If he is very 
high-spirited, and you can not control him, you should attach 
about ten yards of check-cord to his collar, and when he fails to 
be " steady," jerk him, crying '' Steady !" until he has learned the 
meaning of the word. Do not put him to work until he has 
strength ajjd speed of foot to run e^§ily around or past the flock. 



82 TRAINING SHEPHERD DOGS. 

If he is lacking in speed, he will be sure to run straight, instead of 
taking a wide circuit in order to come in front and turn the sheep. 
Some dogs can be taught this at seven or eight months old, while 
others will not acquire speed until they are fully a year old. There 
is much they can learn by even accompanying you on your rounds 
with the sheep. The rashness and impetuosity of a young dog 
must be checked, but not by whipping, for it is an excess of zeal 
on his part ; he is overanxious to work, and thinks he is pleasing 
you. He should be called back, scolded, and shown by word and 
manner he has done wrong, and when he has fully learned to obey 
the command ''Steady!" you will have no further trouble with 
him in this respect, but until he has learned, be patient with him. 
If you find it convenient to take a small flock on a fenced road or 
lane, you could make more rapid progress with the training. 
_^ You will next1[earn)the pup to "speak" to them when you wish 
them hurried up. This is desirable at railroad crossings or in 
driving them across a creek. If you have not yard-trained him, 
you can set him a-barking by getting him excited and giving a 
" bowwow " yourself in as doggish a manner as you are able, and 
crying: "Speak!" " Hie on ! " "Speak!" When he has thor- 
oughly learned this term it will be an easy matter to teach him to be 
" quiet," as it is not desirable to have him barking all the time. 
This can be done by giving the command " Quiet!" and making 
threatening gestures, until he understands the meaning of the 
word. You will find the terms "quiet" and " steady " con- 
venient when the dog is crowding the sheep too much. When 
you set him on, indicate the direction by using your hand, and 
you will find he will soon see which way to drive them. When 
you have got him to go back and forth from one side of the flock 
to the other at the motion of your hand, the next step will be to 
have him pass up the side of the flock. To teach him to do this 
you should indicate by a motion of the right hand the direction 
you wish him to go, at the same time crying : "Up ! " "' Away 
up ! " You can get him started by throwing a stick, or any con- 
venient article within reach, or you may show him what is desired 
by walking a little way in that direction yourself, repeating the 
motion of your hand and crying : " Up ! " "Away up ! " In a 



PRACTICAL FIELD WORK. 83 

few days he will go half way up the side of the flock alone and 
you can gradually urge him forward by crying "Away up ! " at 
the same time throwing your hand out, as you would in direct- 
ing a man who was beyond the reach of your voice. By degrees 
he Avill reach the head of the flock, and may go partly around. 
AVhile he is there quickly change your position from the right at 
the rear of the flock to the left. If the dog is not too far off, he 
will notice you hare changed your position and will probably pass 
entirely around the head of the flock. Quickly give a shrill 
whistle and cry "Come in!" If he "comes in " promptly to 
you, pet him for duty well performed, and the next time he will 
do it with greater alacrity and pleasure. You should also reward 
him ; the rule should be, as many rewards and as few punishments 
as possible. As this will cause *a great run on the provisions, you 
had better provide yourself with a small tin box of cheese scraps, 
which you can carry in your pocket. You wiU then be prepared 
to reward your pupil on short notice, and be careful not to keep 
him waiting for his dainty morsel, It requires considerable prac- 
tice and patience to bring the dog up and to the front of the flock. 
But it can be done ; only do not expect him to learn it all at once. 
If he fails to understand what you wish him to do, he will most 
likely look around on his way up for further instructions. You 
must at once repeat the command "Up!" " Away up ! " ac- 
companying the command with a wave of the hand. An ex- 
perienced collie will frequently perform the feat of running over 
the backs of a flock of sheep that are bunched together, in order 
to head them. 

After your pupil has learned to pass easily up and around the 
flock, he may be taught to gather them together, in order to keep 
them from straying, or to drive them to any desired point. This 
may be done by crying " Around them ! " moving the hand from 
right to left, or vice versa. Sometimes scattered members of the 
flock may be at a greater distance than the dog seems to be taking 
in. You wiU then use the term " back," crying : "Back!" 
' ' Away back ! " At first you wiU have to go towards the head of 
the flock yourself and urge him forward by the term he has al- 
ready learned, crying " Away up ! " until you have him weU un- 



84 TRAINING SHEPHERD DOGS. 

der way, then continue to cry ''Back ! " " Away back ! " at the 
same time waving the hand. If the dog is intelligent, it will not 
take him long to know that " back," ''away back," means that he 
shall go for outlying members of the flock which he failed to 
take in when ordered " Around them ! " The Scotch shepherd 
uses the term " Far yand," for collecting distant members of the 
flock, and also to drive off those that may be trespassing from 
other flocks; at least, this is the case in some parts of Scotland. 
The dog should also be taught to stay at a certain place away from 
you in the rear or front of flock, or at any place you may wish. 
To do this, if you have not yard-trained him, it will be necessary 
to tie him a few times. Before leaving him, say "Lie down ! " 
pointing with the hand to the ground. If you give him an article 
of your clothing to lake care of, he has an object to interest him 
and will be more contented. Some strains of collies take nat- 
urally to watching anything belonging to their master. When he 
is unchained tell him to "stop," or " lie down." If he attempts to 
follow you, drive him back by pretending to hit him. When you 
are driving a flock in a field along a fence, or along a fenced road 
or lane, it is sometimes necessary to make your dog cross the fence 
when you want him to go ahead of them. If you have thoroughly 
taught him the trick or term "Over," as I have previously de- 
scribed in yard-training, you can simply cry "Over," and "Up," 
and he will at once leap over the fence and pass to the head of the 
flock. If he has not been yard-trained, you should go to the fence 
with him and cry "Hie over ! " If he disregards the words " Hie 
over," use the words" Hie on, " and afterwards "Hie over," waving 
your hand at the same time. If he fails .to understand, you must 
first get over the fence yourself, calling the dog by name and 
crying "Hie over! " He will soon jump over the fence and go 
ahead as desired. If you toss a piece of beef over the fence 
when you command him to "hie over," he will learn amazingly 
soon. In driving fiocks along fenced roads or by the side of in- 
closed fields, there are sometimes openings or gaps in the fence, or 
there may be gates or cross-roads of which the sheep might take 
advantage to stray. To keep the sheep in the right direction the 
Scotch shepherd dog is taught to "go by." We will use the term 



PRACTICAL FIELD WORK. 85 

" Hold them ! " and when you wish an opening guarded order him 
to " stop, " or " lie down." If the sheep attempt to stray, cry 
" Hold them ! " At first you will have to go and show him what 
to do. 

When you get so far as to want the dog to hold them up in front, 
you may need an assistant to drive the sheep, or you can go ahead 
of them at a narrow place in the road when they are crowding for- 
ward, and attempt to hold them, continually crying "Hold!" 
Kemember dogs are great imitators. If you do it right yourself, 
and have patience, he will soon learn to do it as well as you. Later 
on, when you are in the rear of the flock, you can order him to 
''Hold front!" at the same time throwing your hand straight out. 
When he gets to the head of the flock, you will find just swinging 
your arms, first one way, then the other, will be quite sufficient to 
keep him running first one way, then another, and when you hold 
your hand up, he will soon understand it means "That will do." 
The term "Hold" will be found quite useful at public crossings 
where others have the right of way, and is especially useful on the 
prairies when another flock is crossing the front of your flock at 
right angles. The flock with lambs, for obvious reasons, always 
holds the right of way by established usage. A well-trained dog 
will hold a large flock of sheep, so that they will loom up from a 
distance like a stone wall. You should also teach the dog to "hold 
right" or "hold left." A few lessons will serve to teach him, from 
your manner, the difference between right and left. When you 
want the dog, cry "Come in!" and he can then take his place as 
driver. In ancient times it was said the sheep follow the shep- 
herd, "for they know his voice," but in modern times the shep- 
herd follows the sheep, at least such is the case in some of the most 
civilized countries. Still, it is necessary in some instances to leave 
the dog in the rear to drive, while you go to the head of the flock 
yourself, and it is beet to train the dog to do this, to be ready in 
case of necessity. To do this, go up along one side of the flock 
yourself, and leave the dog in the rear. Should he attempt to fol- 
low you, drive him back by threatening gestures, at the same time 
bidding him go "Back!" and when he has again taken his place at 
the rear of the flock, bid him "Hie onl" "Speak to them!" and by 
4 



ob TRAINING SHEPHERD DOGS. 

this means he will be encouraged to stay at the rear of the flock 
instead of trying to follow you. By practicing this a short time, 
and going a little farther up the side of the flock each time, you 
can by degrees get to the head of the flock entirely out of sight of 
the dog, and he will drive just as well as though you were there 
yourself. Whenever several sheep take to a fence corner, ditch 
or dried-up water-course, or have sought refuge behind a stone 
pile or any other obstruction, and, turning round and facing the 
dog, refuse to budge, order the dog "Over!" or ''Around!" in such 
a manner that he can go directly in the rear of the sheep, but on 
the other side of the obstruction ; then give the command "Over!" 
when he will jump over directly in the rear of the sheep, and they 
will start at once. 

You will next teach him to "fetch" the flock to. you, or "fetch" 
them home. To teach him quickly and well, take him to the pas- 
ture with you several times, and repeat the words "Fetch them!" 
until he learns to associate the words with the work. Then you 
can simply wave your hand towards them when giving the order, 
and turn your back for an instant. Do not confuse the dog by 
saying what you mean in too many difi^erent ways. Do not say 
"Fetch them!" one time, and "Bringthem!" another. There is a 
great deal of inconvenience growing out of the want of uniformity 
in training-terms, and it is desirable that persons herding in any 
given section of the country should adopt the same phraseology or 
training-terms. A new herdsman or shepherd, in giving the dog 
an order, may use a different term from the one the dog has been 
accustomed to, and although not understanding what is required of 
him, he may, in his eagerness to please, run a quarter of a mile 
before he can be brought in. Althotigh the dog is guilty of no 
fault, he is often severely whipped for disobeying a command 
which he failed to understand, the shepherd at the same time 
cursing the dog for an ill-taught mongrel. By this means the dog 
is set back in his education, and possibly ruined. Some people 
think it is absolutely necessary to have an experienced, trained dog 
in order to train a puppy successfully, but such is not the case. 
The instructions I have given, if faithfully and perseveringly car- 
ried out, will be found sufficient without the aid of a trained dog. 



PRACTICAL FIELD WORK. 87 

Yet notwithstanding, it can not be denied that the services of an 
expert dog will, in a great measure, lessen the labor of training. A 
well-bred, intelligent shepherd pup is most anxious to work, and, 
if taken to the field with an experienced dog, will follow his move- 
ments, and to a great extent do as he does. When your pupil has 
gained strength and speed, he may be coupled to the trained dog, 
but in order to do this they must be fully acquainted with each 
other, and allowed to sleep together. As the male dogs are 
inclined to be surly with puppies or young dogs, a female is best 
for this purpose, and should it be the pup's dam, so much the bet- 
ter. A coupler such as is used by sportsmen is convenient for this 
purpose, and can be procured at any house where sportsmen's sup- 
plies are sold. The chain of the coupler should be provided with 
two good swivels. If the dogs are about the same size, the coup- 
ling chain should be short. Should the young dog be smaller than 
his companion, or the old dog carry his head very high, you can 
easily lengthen the chain. A short time each day will be sufficient 
to keep them coupled together, and always keep an eye on them. 

Although the collie can not be surpassed as a sheep-dog, he is 
equally valuable as a careful watcher over herds of cattle. The 
instructions for training them for this purpose are precisely the 
same as those I have given for training them for sheep. But should 
you desire to work them on both cattle and sheep, they should be 
trained on cattle first, as they will then be more determined. On 
small farms where but few cattle are kept, let the pup accompany 
you to the pasture with the cows, and also fetch them up in the 
evening, and he will soon learn to do it alone. To learn him to 
put stock in the right stalls, work on two or three at first ; take him 
with you and put them in stalls that are as different in appearance 
or location as possible. When a collie has been thoroughly trained 
on cattle, he will work as well in the water as on land. This is 
sometimes necessary when you wish cattle brought out of lakes and 
streams. He will swim around to the head of the herd, turn them, 
and drive them out. The working dog should not be allowed to 
hunt. A dog that will break away from his work, and give chase 
to rabbits and squirrels, will be of little or no account, as he will 
frequently be absent when his services are urgently required, and 



88 TRAINING SHEPHERD DOGS. 

you will be compelled to whistle and shout, and perhaps search, for 
him. 

The common expression, "You can't teach an old dog new 
tricks," has led many to believe that a dog can't be taught anything 
after he has attained his growth. This is a mistake. A dog can 
be taught at any age if reasonable time and care are given him. 
When a pup is taken in hand when young, and taught his first 
lessons as we have given, he will learn at any age anything new in 
one-third the time a pup will, as he has learned to understand, and 
is far more willing. If your dog has thoroughly learned one-half 
of these lessons by the time he is one year^ old, he is getting on 
well. Shepherd dogs are not picked up here and there, of any 
age, and put to work in a single day. A full course of training 
occupies at least two years, sometimes longer, according to the 
smartness and intelligence of the animal. It must not, in this or 
any breed, be expected that every dog will show like mental qual- 
ities, and aptitude to learn. There are stupid dogs, as there are 
stupid people, whom no human teaching can make much of, but, 
on the whole, the cause of "failure is oftener in the teacher than in 
the scholar. 

You will have no doubt noticed in the foregoing instructions that 
we are very much opposed to the (to us inhuman) practice of so 
much sevevity during the so-called breaking-in of young dogs. We 
believe ninety per cent, of the whippings inflicted on young dogs 
is due to the hastiness and impatience of the master. He appears 
I.) I'Aiiik ihe (log understands the command given as well as he does 
hl.i■^clf, aixi the dog, failing to execute it, is roughly grasped by 
hirf master, whu, in his J'age, inllicls upon him a severe thrashing; 
WMi'.i, iii must eases, liad tlie master kept cool and tried to make 
liie do^- understand the nature of the command, he would have 
1) 'en ehoei-iidly obeyed. We believe in most cases whipping is en- 
tirely unnecessary; but, should it be necessary to punish a dog, 
wiiieh is the case only in willful disobedience, do it calmly, and 
with a view to making the dog understand you must be obeyed, 
ratlier than to give vent to your anger. If you have given him a 
command with which he is thoroughly acquainted, and he has not 
obeyed you, you should repeat the command bIowIj with every 



PRACTICAL FIELD WORK. 89 

blow given. A few blows given in this way will do more good 
than all the thrashings given in the ordinary way. The chief thing 
is to conceal your anger and to retain the confidence of the dog. A 
man that can not control his temper should never attempt to train a 
dog ; indeed, such a man would in most cases ruin a dog after he 
was trained. Kindness is better than severity. When he has done 
wrong, give him a good talking to in a quiet, calm voice, and you 
will often be surprised at the look of shame with which he turns 
away, unable to look you in the eye, or in some cases, especially of 
a tender-hearted, affectionate female, look at you imploringly, and, 
with whine and action, beg to be forgiven. When he has done 
well, speak cheerfully to him ; let him know that you are pleased 
with his behavior, and he will exert his utmost in your service. Be 
gentle with him, and he will learn to look to you for guidance, and 
you will be the fortunate owner of the most faithful four-footed 
companion in existence. 



CHAPTER VI. 



COLLIE ANECDOTES. 



"His locked, lettered, braw brass collar 
Showed him the gentleman and scholar." 

—Burns. 

Mr. James Hogg, the Ettrick Shepherd, living in his early days 
among the sheep and their quadruped attendants, and an accurate 
observer of nature, as well as an exquisite poet, gives some anec- 
dotes of the collie with which the reader will not be displeased. 
"My dog Sirrah," says he, in a letter to the editor of Blackwood's 
Edinburgh Magazine, "was, beyond all comparison, the best dog I 
ever saw. He had a somewhat surly and unsocial temper, disdain- 
ing all flattery, and refusing to be caressed ; but his attention to my 
commands and interest will never again be equaled by any of the 
canine race. When I first saw him, a drover was leading him with 
a rope. He was both lean and hungry, and far from being a beauti- 
ful animal ; for he was almost black, and had a grim face, str'ped 
with dark brown. I thought I perceived a sort of sullen intelli- 
gence in his countenance, notwithstanding his dejected and forlorn 
appearance, and I bought him. He was scarcely a year old, and 
knew so litile of herding that he had never turned a sheep in his 
life; but, as soon as he discovered that it was his duty to do so, 
and that it obliged me, I can never forget with what anxiety and 
eagerness he learned his different evolutions ; and when I once 
made him understand a direction, he never forgot or mistook it." 
On one night, a large flock of lambs that were under the Ettrick 
Shepherd's care, frightened by something, scampered away in three 
different directions across the hills, in spite of all that he could do 
to keep them together. "Sirrah," said the shepherd, "they're a' 
awa!" It was too dark for the dog and his master to see each 

(91) 



92 COLLIE ANECDOTES. 

other at any considerable distance, but Sirrah understood him, and 
set off after the fugitives. The night passed on, and Hogg and his 
assistant traversed every neighboring hill in anxious but fruitless 
search for the lambs ; but he could hear nothing of them nor of the 
dog, and he was returning to his master with the doleful intelli- 
gence that he had lost all his lambs. "On our way home, how- 
ever," says he, "we discovered a lot of lambs at the bottom of a 
deep ravine called the Flesh Cleuch, and the indefatigable Sirrah 
standing in front of them, looking round for some relief, but still 
true to his charge. We concluded that it was one of the divisions 
which Sirrah had been unable to manage, until he came to that 
commanding situation. But what was our astonishment when we 
discovered that not one lamb of the flock was missing ! How he had 
got all the divisions collected in the dark, is beyond my compre- 
hension. The charge was left entirely to himself from midnight 
until the rising sun ; and, if all the shepherds in the forest had 
been there to have assisted him, they could not have effected it 
with greater promptitude. All that I can say is, that I never felt 
so grateful to any creature under the sun as I did to my honest 
Sirrah that morning." 

Mr. Russell says : "I was veryraueh astonished at the remarka- 
ble intelligence of a collie that I saw in Scotland. As I was walk- 
ing along a Highland mountain road, I met a large flock of sheep. 
They had traveled some twelve miles and were very thirsty. Just 
below us, down a steep incline, ran a little brook. As soon as the 
sheep sighted the brook, they ran down pell-mell for a drink. 
Among the flock was a lame sheep that could not, or dared not, go 
down the steep bank. While it ^ood hesitating, the shepherd's 
dog, a collie, went up to it, pricked up its ears, and after an 
instant's hesitation went below it, placed his shoulders against the 
sheep and slowly assisted it down to the brook, then lay down near 
by and watched it drink with as much apparent satisfaction as a 
human being could have expressed in words." 

A shepherd had driven part of his flock to a neighboring fair, 
leaving his dog to watch the rest during that day, expecting to 
rejoin them in the morning. Unfortunately, however, the shep- 
herd forgot both his dog and his sheep, and did not return home 



COLI>IE ANECDOTES. 93 

till the morning of the third dav. His first inquiry was whether the 
dog had been seen. The answer was "No." "Then he must be 
dead," replied the shepherd, with a look of pain, "for I know he 
was too faithful to desert his charge." He went back to the heath 
directly. The dog had just enough strength left to crawl to his 
master's feet, and express his joy at his return, and then he died. 

The collie bitch (lyp, by Rutland, out of Lorna Doone, is a 
rarely intelligent animal. She is three years old, and winner of 
twenty-seven prizes in England, Ireland and Australia. While in 
Queensland, her owner wagered |2,500 that she could, unassisted, 
drive a flock of sheep a distance of 175 miles, between Charleville 
and Adavale, over a road familiar to her. The feat was accom- 
plished in good time, the dog taking a flock of 151 sheep over the 
entire distance, driving them by day and rounding them up at 
night, without the slightest assistance, and without losing a single 
sheep. This intelligent collie is now in this country. 

It may seem incredible to the casual reader that a dog can 
become of more value to its owner than is a hired man, but the 
owner of "Southland Ned" asserts that this wise dog is of better 
service than two men would be at $2.50 each per day. The dog 
does the work once performed by two drovers, in driving to and 
from Brighton market. The route is six miles from his home and 
enables the dog to become acquainted with all the cattle during the 
day's drive. The collie distributes the cattle on reaching home, 
separating from the herd the bunch that is to be sent on six miles 
to the slaughter-pens. For several years he has never lost a single 
head en route. Even at $1.50 per day for a man's services, the 
dog has saved his master no less than $3,600 during his useful 
career. This fact is but one of thousands that might be cited. 

The following incident illustrates the memory of the dog. A 
shepherd was employed in bringing up some mountain sheep from 
Westmoreland, and took with him a young sheep-dog who had 
never made the journey before. From his assistant being ignorant 
of the ground, he experienced great difficulty in having the flock 
stopped at the various roads and lanes he passed in their way to 
the neighborhood of London. In the next year the same shepherd, 
accompanied by the same dog, brought up another flock for the 



94 OOLLIE ANECDOTES. 

gentleman who had had the former one. On being questioned how 
he had got on, he said much better tlian the year before, as Ins dog 
now knew the road, and had kept the sheep from going up any of 
the lanes or turnings that had given him so much trouble on his 
former journey. The distance could not have been less than four 
hundred miles.* 

"Is thy servant a dog?" said Hazael when the prophet foretold 
his crimes. Now and then tlie slandered dog finds liimself where 
he could protest quite as strongly against being called a man. For 
example : A farmer, having sold a Hock of sheep to a dealer, lent 
him his dog to drive them home, a distance of thirty miles, desiring 
him to give the dog a meal at his journey's end, and tell it to go 
home. The drover found the dog so useful that he resolved to 
keep it, and, instead of sending it back, locked it up. The collie 
grew sulky and at last effected its escape. Evidently deeming the 
drover had no more right to detain the sheep than he had to detain 
itself, the honest creature went into the field, collected all the sheep 
that had belonged to his master, and, to that person's intense aston- 
ishment, drove the whole flock home again. What the culprit said 
for himself, or what passed between the two men when the whole 
story came out, we are not informed ; but if ever there was a ease 
of human being rebuked in his morals by a brute, this is one. 

We could quote innumerable instances in which the collie has 
excelled in handling sheep and cattle, but we think enough has 
been said on this subject and we will proceed to give a few of the 
many instances in which he has been found useful in other ways. 

Dorsey is a fine Scotch collie, and has the distinction of being 
the only dog in the world regularly employed as a letter-carrier. 
Dorsey has for more than three years carried the mail between 
Calico, San Bernardino County, and Bismarck, a mining-camp be- 
tween three and four miles away, over almost impassable moun- 
tains. Calico is a stage-station and has a post-office. Without 
the aid of the dog many a miner would have a hard time getting 
his mail, as the country is very rough and steep in places, and 
most of the year the weather is very warm. Dorsey belongs to 

:> Jesse's Gleanings, Vol. I, p. 93. 



COLLIE AJTECDOTES. 95 

the postmaster at Calico, and in his youth was not regarded as 
anything more than a common puppy. The way the dog became 
a mail-carrier was as follows : One day the postmaster wanted to 
send word to his brother at Bismarck, but did not want to make 
the trip. It occurred to him to try the dog. He wrote a letter 
and tied it round the dog's neck, pointing his nose toward Bis- 
marck, and then told him to go. He trotted off a short distance 
and then turned about to see what else was wanted. Some of the 
small boys showered stones at him and he ran on to Bismarck. 
Next day he returned with an answer tied to his neck, and he 
showed that he had been well treated. The experiment was re- 
peated, each time with success and additional dignity on the part 
of the dog. As soon as it became known thatDorsey could be de- 
pended upon, requests were constantly made by the miners to 
send their mail by him. The loads soon increased and it became 
evident that they could not tie on all the letters. The miners 
then ordered a fine little mail-bag and fitted it to the dog's shoul- 
ders. It is fastened around his chest by one strap, and around his 
body, back of the fore legs, by another. He has never missed a 
trip or lost a letter. Now, w^hen the stage comes in, he gets up, 
stretches himself, walks to the post-office, waits to have the mail 
strapped on him, and starts off as soon as he is told all is readv. 
He will go a long way around to avoid meeting a stranger, seem- 
ing to realize the importance of his mission. 

I. K. Felch says: ''One of my favorite collies could tell the 
difference between two newspapers, folded exactly alike and flung 
on my lawn. When sent 'for the fjaper,' he would select the one 
belonging to me and leave the other. This dog served as messen- 
ger between my family and my father's when my father lay ill. 
We would send him to ascertain if assistance was needed. If told 
that one of us was required, he would return and bark ; if told that 
nothing was wanted just then, he would come home and lie down 
quietly. At one time he was accustomed to go to the news-room 
for my daily paper. The clerks enjoyed playing pranks on him, 
which he resented. He would enter the store with dignity and 
place his forepaws on the counter. If the paper was given him, 
he would trot off contentedly, but if the boys pretended not to see 



96 COLIilE AKECDOTES. 

him he would bark once or twice, and then, if still ignored, would 
push from the counter whatever chanced to be loose. The boys 
soon learned to wait upon this customer as promptly as though he 
could talk." 

Professor Sedgwick was staying in Cumberland with a college 
friend of his, whose father farmed his own estate. His friend said 
to him one day : '' You are so fond of dogs, you ought to ask my 
father to tell you how his life was saved by his favorite shepherd 
dog." The Professor did so, and heard the following story : 
' ' When I was a young man my father said to me : ' There is a 
heavy snow-storm coming on. Ride up the mountain and see that 
th(3 flock of sheep we have lately bought is properly folded.' So 
off I set, mounted on a frisky colt, and accompanied by my favor- 
ite collie. My errand over, I was returning home, when my horse 
not only threw me off, but kicked me afterwards, so that my leg 
was frightfully broken. The night coming on, the snow falling 
heavily, nothing could be more perilous than my position, as I 
could not move. In despair I dipped my glove in my blood and 
gave it to my collie, saying, ' Take this right home to my father, 
and bring me help.' Appearing to understand every word, he 
seized the glove and tore home. The servants tried to catch him 
in vain — he forced his way into the parlor and dropped the glove 
on my father's lap, whining piteously. My father knew tlie glove 
and saw that some accident had occurred ; he gathered the men on 
the farm, and, guided by the dog, they came to my rescue." 

The following interesting account of Mr. Harris's collie, Boz, 
will show they can also be learned tricks : Mr. S. G. Harris, a 
horse-dealer of Vincennes, Ind., is the owner of a wonderful dog. 
It is a Scotch collie and seems possessed of almost human intelli- 
gence. Mr. Harris exhibited him to Mr. Charles Schwartz and a 
party of friends in Mr. Schwartz's private office in the Board of 
Trade building. His performances — they seemed to show too 
much intelligence to be called tricks — amazed everybody. Bank 
bills and coins of various denominations were placed on the floor 
and the dog was requested to take his choice. He immediately 
picked up a ten-dollar bill, which was the largest in sight. 
" Which piece would you give me, Boz ? " asked Mr. Harris. Boz 



COLLTE A2nECD0TES. 97 

selected a nickel and dropped it into Mr. Harris's hand. Mr. S. 
A. Kent came in while the dog was performing, and said : '•' Boz, 
I want you to bring me five dollars and a half." Boz picked up a 
five-dollar bill and a fifty-cent piece, gave Mr. Kent an I'm-onto- 
you expression, and trotted over to Mr. Harris with the money. 
•'Find Mr. Eichardson,'- was the next order. Boz trotted up to 
that gentleman, looked up into his face and wagged his tail. " Pick 
his pocket,' ' said Mr. Harris. Boz picked Mr. Eichardson'.s hand 
kerchief out of his coat -pocket and trotted off with it. "I want 
fifteen dollars," said Mr. Kent. Boz picked up a ten-dollar and a 
five-dollar bill. ''Bring me the rest of it." Boz barked and 
growled. His next performances were to bring a hat from the 
window and a piece of paper from the waste-basket in the corner, 
and he also gave an imitation of the way the clown-dog prayed in 
the circus which Boz and his master visited last summer. At 
Mr. Harris's request that he pray like a good dog, he got up in a 
chair, put his paws up on the back, and, after putting his head 
down between his paws, reverently closed his eyes. " Get down,'' 
said Mr. Harris. Boz did not stir. Mr. Harris tipped the chair 
over, but Boz took up his position again as soon as the chair was 
righted. ''Amen,'" said Mr. Harris, and Boz jumped down and 
wagged his tail. Boz showed them how the bad boy winked at 
the girls in church, played bartender by giving Mr. Harris back 
his correct change after the lictitious purchase of two drinks, and 
did other equally wonderful tricks. Mr. Schwartz wrote out his 
check for $6,000, which he gave to Mr. Harris for the dog, and 
Mr. Schwartz took the dog home with him. Mr. Harris could 
not sleep, however, and he came down to ^Ir. Schwartz's office 
bright and early next morning and offered Mr. Schwartz $500 if 
he would trade back. Mr. Schwartz refused the offer, but finally 
took pity on ^Lr. Harris and sent up to the house for the dog. 
Mr. Harris was proudly exhibiting him in the Grand Pacific 
Hotel thf'.t afternoon, and declared that he would never part with 
him again. The dog is five years old and has been Mr. Harris's 
constant companion ever since it was three months old. "Boz " 
was afterwards taken to England, where Mr. Harris had the honor 
of exhibiting his wonderful performances before the Prince of 
Wales. 



98 COIililE ANECDOTES. 

Mr. Colin Campbell, of Stonefield, had a collie named Ettrick, 
that was the finest all-round retriever I have ever seen, and no sum 
would have bought him. The universal antipathy of the collie to 
cats was never more fully demonstrated than at a Scotch kirk in 
the Highlands. The congregation, mostly shepherds, always 
brought their dogs with them. On one occasion, in the midst of. 
the exhortation, a cat marched into the kirk and was seen by one 
dog, who set up a howl. Out went the cat, followed by about fif- 
teen grand collies, who ran into and killed her in fine style in the 
church-yard. An edict from the pulpit excluded dogs after that. 



CHAPTEE VII. 

A PLEA FOR THE DOG. 
In life the fii'mest friend, 



The first to welcome, foremost to defend, 

Whose honest heart is still his master's own, 

"Who labors, fights, lives, hreathes for him alone. "—^j/ron. 

Proud (and justly so) is the fortunate possessor of a good dog. 
Many a life has been saved and manj an accident averted by the 
constant watchfulness of man's best friend, the dog. Always on 
the alert and ready for a frolic ; yet at the aproach of danger as 
fearless as a lion in the discharge of his duty. To fully appreci- 
ate the many excellent qualities and the educated instinct of the 
thoroughbred dog is a study of no small proportions. Hear the 
joyous bark which greets his master in the morning, note the glad- 
ness of manner and the delicate hinting for the accustomed caress 
— he gets it, too. 

His indoor life yields to others as much joy and satisfaction as 
his outdoor life. To take away from many homes the canine pets 
would be to deprive them of one of the principal sources and one 
of the essential factors of their happiness, content, security and 
congenial companionship. From the large St. Bernard doAvn to 
the parlor pug, the dog grows up in most well-regulated households 
a member almost as indispensable as the children for whose 
special rearing and training these homes are provided. For the 
best of all reasons this is so, as the dog is one of man's best 
friends and servants ; we may safely say the best. Affectionate, 
patient, confiding, true to its trust, never, like so many other ser- 
vants, whining with even a dog's whine, because too many burdens 
are put upon them, the dog performs its duty even more manfully 
than they. And this duty is manifold ; often it consists in guard, 
ing persons and property from the depredations of men as well aS 
of the other animals ; sometimes it consists in protecting children 

(99) 



100 A PLEA FOE, THE DOG. 

in the absence of other guardians ; sometimes in rescuing the 
members of the family from danger and the effects of accident 5 
sometimes in assisting the dog's master to earn a livelihood ; and 
generally in acting in the twofold capacity of companion and play- 
mate of the household, and of a willing drudge and servant in a 
hundred useful ways. 

The only living being which deigned to notice the beggar as he 
lay at the rich man's gate was the dog. The priest, the Levite, 
and even the Samaritan, passed by. The pages of history, from 
that day to this, record his fidelity as exceeding even that of his 
master, and are unmarred by a single act of treachery. The St. 
Bernards of the Alps, the staghounds of Russia, and the collies of 
Scotland, save the lives of travelers, protect families from fam. 
ished wolves, and herd the sheep of the highlands. Shepherds who 
have large flocks find the dog a necessity in assisting them to guard, 
drive, corral and care for them. At times the rivers overflow 
and vast tracts of the country are inundated, driving myriads of 
rats, weasels and other vermin inland, which become sources of 
constant annoyance and loss to all, especially to farmers. We are 
then glad to call in the assistance of dogs. A few years ago, 
when there was a general overflow from the Ohio to the Missouri, 
these vermin swarmed throughout the country ; they threw out 
their skirmishers in every nook and corner of the land with such 
rapidity that they soon became a vast arj ly preying upon almost 
everything produced by the farmer. He razed old buildings, tore 
up all harbors, shot, trapped and poisoned, but they would not go. 
When they could not find harbors, they burrowed for their homes 
in the open ground, in the garden, in the meadow, anywhere — rats 
and weasels everywhere. Then we called in the aid of the terrier, 
and these vermin began to see that there was a ''force in nature" 
on which they never reckoned. Soon after the dog's advent 
'* sweet peace" reigned once more from the depredations of these 
pests. Permit me, as one somewhat observant of the habits and 
nature of wild animals, to predict that if you exterminate the 
dogs of the country, it will in a few years be overrun with vermin , 
and your flocks less secure than now. Even the friendless cur, 
which roams promiscuously about, performs an office other than 
keeping down the supply of mutton. 



A PLEA FOR THE DOG. 101 

Some races of dogs are extremely valuable, noble and intelli- 
gent, only requiring education to advance them to a place of neces- 
sity among those who are compelled to bear the heat and burden 
of natural life. One thing you must admit in spite of all 
prejudice, that we'll never find a better friend than the old watch- 
dog. ' He seems to never sleep ; his penetrating eyes seem to note 
every spot of the premises ; his ears seem to take in every sound, 
and at night, when all should be wrapped in the peace and stillness 
of sleep — save the cricket, whose cheerful chirping appoints the 
restful dreams to calm the mind and fit you for the morrow's fight 
for life — he stands guard, and prevents by timely warning your 
loss of property. His nerves seem to never tire, until, by a long 
life of constant, generous and unselfish devotion, he lies down on 
your hearth to die, amid the heart-pangs of the family ; even then, 
should a disturbance arise in his last death-throes, he will make 
the attempt to obey the summons and give his last sad gasp in your 
service. It is truly said of the dog that he possesses 

" Many a good 
And useful quality, and virtue, too ; 
Attachment never to be weaned or changed 
By any change of fortune ; proof alike 
Against unkindness, absence and neglect ; 
Fidelity, that neither bribe nor threat 
Can move or warp ; and gratitude, for small 
And trivial favors, lasting as the life. 
And glistening even in the dying eye." 

Coxie says : " Man is a reasoning animal, because he can reason 
from cause to effect, and can trace effects to causes ; because he 
possesses the passions of love, hope, fear, etc.; and especially be- 
cause he possesses that most important faculty of memory. But if 
this be the case, can any one deny to inferior animals, whom we 
choose to designate by the name of brutes, many, or all, of the 
above qualities or passions, or of the faculty or power of memory? 
The dog, our familiar associate, will sufficiently answer such de- 
nial. Acute and sensible, alive to friendship and affection, he ap- 
pears on many occasions to reason from causes to their effects, and, 
from a dread of punishment, he seems equally to retrace his ideas 
back to the causes that led to it on former occasions, and wisely 
therefore he avoids their repetition. The faculty or power of rea- 



102 A PLEA t'OR THE DOG. 

soning seems to result from a combination of ideas. The man who 
is persuaded of the existence of a Supreme Being is led by a train 
of reasoning to view him in the wonders of creation ; and, by a 
train not much dissimilar, the dog is kept in awe of that punish- 
ment which memory informs him was inflicted for such or such a 
fault, and which reflection or association of ideas leads him to antic- 
ipate a renewal of, on a repetition of the same. How evidently, 
too, does he express the emotions or passions of joy or sorrow, of 
hope, fear, anger, shame, etc., according to the varied situation in 
which he may be placed ; can man describe them by actions more 
expressive ? Now, if these propositions are correct, must they not 
confirm what is above sustained, that animals do possess, in varied 
degrees, like man, those mental affections on which the latter sets 
so high an estimate, and that memory forms the basis of such 
powers, by which, through appropriate organs, their existence is 
developed ?" 

We here quote the beautiful account of Sir Walter Scott and his 
dogs, as described by Henry Hallam : 

" But looking toward the grassy mound 

Where calm the Douglass chieftains lie, 

Who, living, quiet never found, 

I straightway learnt a lesson high ; 

For there an old man sat serene, 

And well 1 knew that thoughtful mien 

Of him whose early lyre had thrown 

O'er mouldering walls the magic of its tone, 
" It was a comfort, too, to see 

Those dogs that from him ne'er would rove, 

And always eyed him reverently, 

With glances of depending love. 

They know not of the eminence 

Which marks him to my reasoning sense ; 

They know but that he is a man, 

And still to them is kind, and glads them all he can. 
" And hence their quiet looks confiding ; 

Hence grateful instincts, seated deep, 

By whose strong bond, were ill betiding. 

They'd lose their own, his life to keep. 

What joy to watch in lower creature 

Such dawning of a moral nature. 

And how (the rule all things obey) 

They look to a higher mind to be their law and stay ! " 



A PLEA FOR THE DOG. 103 

Those who sneer at what they are pleased to term a rage for 
keeping dogs, should remember the great benefit so many families 
derive by man's just affection for these household pets. He is a 
faithful servant and loving companion, and worthy of the appre- 
ciative treatment of his master, and he should receive every atten- 
tion of which man is capable. "The dog, par excellence," says 
Dr. E. J. Lewis, " may be considered the type of all that is no- 
ble and great ; for, certainly, incorruptible fidelity, disinterested 
attachment, and a never-ceasing desire to be useful to man, are at- 
tributes sufficiently high in their moral bearing to entitle the pos- 
sessor to this exalted position from among all other animals. From 
the remotest ages of the world down to the present time, we find 
the dog the intimate associate of man, the protector of his habi- 
tation, the guardian of his flocks. No neglect, no ill-treatment,, 
can drive him from our doors. 

" ' Unkindness may do much ; 
And his unkindness may defeat my life, 
But never taint my love.' 

"The dog alone bears every oppression, forgives every blow 
and obeys every command." It is the dog who is the companion 
of childhood, the sentinel who never sleeps, who sees that the 
flocks and herds are in their places, that brings home the cows 
when, from a hard day's work, we are too tired to bring them 

ourselves. 

" I am constant as the northern star, 
Of whose true fix'd and resting quality 
There is no fellow in the firmament," 

Was the language Shakespeare put into the mouth of Desdemona 
when she protested her fidelity to Othello. It is the language 
that every master might unhesitatingly accept as the maxim of 
the only domesticated animal that, if left to itself, would not 
sooner relapse into its original state of freedom and independence 
than forsake the hearthstone that gives it kindly shelter and am- 
ple food. 

There is much we may learn from the society of dogs, if we 
observe their characters with close, sympathetic insight. One 
learns at least simplicity, sincerity, and the insufferableness of 



104 A PLEA FOR THE DOG. 

egotism, for, however playful and clever a dog is, he is never an 
egotist, and even if he shows off his little tricks to please his mas- 
ter, it is because he takes delight in doing what he has been 
taught to do, never because he thinks himself the perfection of 
creation and wants everybody to admire him. We do not deny 
that dogs are at times guilty of affectation, if they can by that 
means attract pity or get themselves petted. A dog will limp long 
after he is really quite sound of limb, if there is anyone in sight to 
pity or pet him ; but even this is not egotism; indeed, it is half 
delight in the kindness shown him, and half humor, as he will 
show his sense of fun if he perceives that he is found out and 
kindly laughed at for his affectation. Never was there a dog 
whose ruses of this kind went deeper than the wish to attract affec- 
tionate notice ; whereas the loyalty of the dog is the deepest 
instinct in him. What was it Cowper said of his water-spaniel 
*'Beau," after he had watched "Beau" capturing and bringing to 
his master's feet the water-lily which the poet had in vain endeav- 
ored to hook with his stick ? 

"But chief myself I will enjoin 
Awake at duty's call, 
And show a love as prompt as thine, 
To Him who gives me all." 

It is said of Sir Walter Scott, when his dog *'Camp" died, that 
he declined to go out to dinner on the ground that he had just lost 
a dear friend. It is when the dog gets old and dim-sighted, and 
follows its master and mistress about like their shadow, that we 
first begin to feel how close is the relation between the dog and the 
man. 

Volumes might be written, if desirable, relating all the extra- 
ordinary stories of which dogs are the heroes. Every day, in ordi- 
nary life, we see something of this kind, and which, although of 
so frequent occurrence, is none the less curious. Is it necessary to 
recall to memory the dog of Ulysses, the model of fidelity ; the dog 
of Montargis, the vanquisher of crime; of Munito, the brilliant 
player at dominoes? Must we mention the Newfoundland dog and 
the dog of Mount St. Bernard, both of them preservers of human 
life? Is it necessary to speak of intelligent dogs going for provis- 



A PLEA FOR THE DOG. 105 

ions for their master, and assisting him in his duties with ability ; 
of the shoeblack's dog, trained to plant his muddy paws on the 
best polished boots, so as to bring more business to his master, the 
man of the brush ? We should never come to an end if we 
attempted to describe all the exploits of this valuable companion 
of man. 

As to people who positively hate dogs may a merciful Provi- 
dence keep them far away from me ! If mankind is the noblest of 
God's works, dogs undoubtedly rank next, and he must be a queer 
Christian, to say the least of it, who hates or despises an animal 
whom He has taken pains to bring to such perfection. Indeed, it 
is my firm belief, that the human creature who really hates dogs, 
must have something radically wrong with his cerebral convolu- 
tions. Be just to the good dog, for he is, as you know, a protec- 
tion to the family and property of his master. There is no de- 
tective so keen, or watchman so faithful, as he. 



CHAPTER VIII. 

SUGGESTIONS TO STOCKMEN. 

"His flock he gathers aud he guides 
To open downs and mountain-sides."— Sco/^ 

Over the principal part of llie ^reat Northwest the wolf problem 
is a serious one, and how to battle with them is one of the vexing 
questions. Some prominent floekmasters are using hounds to good 
advantage in hunting wolves and coyotes. If the cattle and sheep 
men of the Northwest would give these noble dogs a trial, I believe 
they would find in them the solution of the wolf question. The 
Siberian wolfhound (sometimes called the Russian bloodhound) is 
the natural enemy of the wolf, and they have terrible encounteis 
with the formidable black wolf in their native land. This dog, in 
connection with the Scotch staghound (which I have fully described 
on preceding pages), can be used for hunting wolves or for the pro- 
tection of a single flock, by a method we will describe later on. Of 
course, these formidable dogs should be accustomed to the sheep 
when they are quite young. A Minnesota sheep-breeder says : "I 
have three fine wolfhounds. I tied one of them in the yard with 
the sheep; if anything scares the sheep, they ring the bells; the 
hound in the yard raises the alarm ; the other two are soon on the 
track of the dog or wolf, and soon have them outside of the lines." 
Mr. B. Fay, writing in regard to wolves killing sheep, says : 
"About ten years ago they used to kill a good many for me ; but I 
got some wolfhounds, and since then I have not been troubled, day 
or. night." 

A Nebraska sheep-breeder says : "I am often amused at the 
howling of people in the Eastern States about dogs killing sheep. 
Very different with me ; I could not breed sheep without dogs. I 

( 107) 



108 " SU&GESTIONS TO STOCKMEN. 

came from Ohio to this State seven years ago, with eight carloads 
of stock, etc., with me, intending to keep right on in my old busi- 
ness — sheep-breeding ; but after a year or so found out something 
must be done, as the wolves were making sad havoc with my lambs 
and sometimes the older ones, but tlie young sixty-pound lambs 
they preferred. I talked with neighbors about what to do. They 
advised me to get dogs. I had a shepherd dog which I brought 
with me, but the coyotes teeth were too long and sharp for him." 
Not being posted in dogs, it took me three years trying and posting 
up on the dog business before getting the right kind, but with 
years of trying and quite an expenditure of money have at last 
succeeded. I have the Siberian wolfhound and also the Scotch 
staghound, to take in the wolf if he comes within sight My build- 
ings are from ten to twenty rods from the house, and the slieep 
come up from the different fields every night and lie around the 
building, and the wolves often come howling round at night, but 
at the least noise out go the dogs and the coyotes scamper for dear 
life, yet the dogs often take them in. No strange dog, or anything 
else, can come into this section without my dogs knowing it. Am 
not in the least afraid of thieves coming in the house or stealing 
horses, etc. One good dog will keep away everythin|f, but I keep 
the fast ones, as I like to take them in." 

Recently there has been considerable discussion in the agricul- 
tural papers in regard to sheep-bells as a protection against dogs. 
That there is a large and growing class of breeders, particularly in 
the East, who place great weight on the protective power of sheep- 
bells can not be denied. They show by their constant use of these 
little ''alarmers" their faith in the idea that they actually drive 
away dogs; and if this is the case, why would they not prove as 
efficacious against wolves and coyotes ? The American Sheep-breeder 
says : "Your sheep will be safe from annoying visits from wolves, 
coyotes, dogs, etc., with a few sheep-bells strapped around their 
necks." 

Mr. J. Fullerton, of Minnesota, a great believer in the efficacy 
of sheep-bells, says : ' 'In seventeen years I have lost one pet lamb ; 
it had no bell. I have always been on the frontier and hunt wolves 
for the bounty, but they never touch my sheep. I have a bell on 



SUGGESTIONS TO STOCKMEN. 109 

every fifth sheep ; cheap insurance against dogs and wolves, 
watched a wolf trying to get at them, and the way they rang those 
bells looked as if they fully appreciated them, and every time they 
rang, off went his wolfship. Another time a man told me a wolf 
was rounding 'em up, and I'd soon have lots of mutton. I did not 
worry a bit ; I knew they were safe as in a barn. He never hurt 
one." 

A Montana breeder states : "Coyotes are plenty and wolves by 
no means scarce, but I've yet to lose my first sheep by them. I 
have herded sheep off and on for three years, and owned a bunch 
for two years (three next summer) . My experience has been that a 
flock that is plentifully supplied with good sounding bells, is prac- 
tically exempt from the ravages of coyotes or wolves. I have left 
my band a mile out on the range and gone to the ranch for dinner, 
and on going out to them again I have seen one and sometimes two 
coyotes off on a hill watching them, and remained back to see what 
they would do. As soon as the sheep see them Lhey bunch, and 
tlie jingling of the bells is too much for Mr. Coyote, and he 
'bunches' himself off the other way." 

An Illinois shepherd says : "In regard to bells as a protective 
power to sheep, can say I rely upon my bells three-quarters of a 
mile, notifying me of any disturbance to my flock. I have listened 
to the jingle of sheep-bells for eight years, and can easily tell 
when my sheep are being disturbed by dogs. Two-thirds of the 
bells in use are too small. I regard bells a necessity, and can't do 
without them." 

A correspondent of the Country Gentleman writes: ''My experi- 
ence for thirty years proves the protective power of bells on sheep. 
I have kept sheep all that time a mile from home, beside a road 
constantly traveled by dogs, and have never lost a sheep by them, 
while there is not a flock in the vicinity which has not been raided. 
When I hear of a case I have taken pains to ascertain if the sheep 
had bells on, which has not been the fact in a single instance." 

We firmly believe that the ravages of dogs, wolves and coyotes 
would be greatly lessened if shepherds would more generally make 
use of bells on their sheep. Fifty bells, costing not over eight dol- 
lars with 9«trsiips and buckles complete, are enough for a hundred 



110 SUGaESTIONS TO STOCKMEN. 

sheep, and about two dollars a year will keep the bells good — in 
case yoa get the cow-bell pattern, which are cast on a staple 
through which the strap passes, and not those cast with a shank, 
which passes through the strap, leaving a small part of the strap 
entire. The wear coming all the time on one place, the corners of 
the shank and wire soon cut the strap off. This kind are hardly 
worth the trouble of putting on. 

The American Sheep-breeder says: ''If a few dry cows or heifers 
are kept in the field with sheep, the dogs will seldom molest them. 
We have found sheep in the morning huddling so close around and 
under a friendly old cow that she could not get away from them ; 
she had saved their lives." Most people in the country have proba- 
bly noticed the actions of cattle when a wolf howls or a strange 
dog enters the pasture. They gather together, and, with heads 
erect, immediately chase and drive out the intruder. We know 
from experience that cattle are a sure protection to grown sheep, 
but think the lambs would be lost where there was much under- 
brush, especially if there were wolf whelps in the vicinity, as the 
male wolf at this time has to forage for the whole family, and is 
very cunning, and particularly destructive to lambs and pigs. 
Should he discover a sow in the woods with pigs, and find her too 
much to be managed by himself alone — for sows are very cour- 
ageous and dangerous in defense of their young — he hastens to his 
mate and acquaints her with his discovery. Then both sally forth, 
and, while one rallies the sow with threatening movements in front, 
the other darts in behind and snatches a pig and away. This is 
repeated till each is supplied with one or more pigs, as they may 
want. 

It might be well for the flockmaster on the range to keep a few 
Angora goats in his flock with bells on, to turn the flock homeward 
toward evening. The Angora always wishes to spend the night in 
its corral, and when dogs or coyotes assail them ihey make a bee- 
line for the corral, the buck covering the rear and turning often to 
beat back the enemy. Goats are more intelligent than sheep, and 
^ can often tell when a storm is coming some hours previous, and 
will often seek shelter. In case of a sudden storm, a flock of sheep 
alone would be driven before it, but goats will face the storm, if 



SUGGESTIONS TO STOCKMEN. Ill 

necessary, in order to reach the corral, and the sheep, when accus- 
tomed to the goats, will follow them, especially if they have 
bells on. 

In regard to dogs for herding sheep, we would say that a farmer 
who attempts to keep sheep, and has no shepherd dog, is in about 
as bad a situation as the mariner who ventures out to sea without 
a compass. It is not a difficult matter to procure a likely puppy, 
as there are always plenty of thoroughbred ones in the market, the 
property of well-known and reliable breeders, and it is not as diffi- 
cult to secure a good one as formerly. In buying a puppy or colt 
it is a fatal mistake to think that a very low price is cheap in the 
end. Purchasers of dogs and horses are greatly tempted to fall into 
this error. If you purchase a puppy at random, you may not find 
out for many montlis that you have been wasting your time in try- 
ing to train and educate a dog which at best will be second-class 
in every respect. Of course, under peculiar circumstances a fine 
puppy may be obtained at a low figure, but, as a rule, the lower 
the price the greater the lottery. Still, there are exceptions to 
every rule, and it frequently happens that a high-priced dog is 
practically worthless as a working dog, their ancestors being bred 
for bench show only for several generations. There are instances 
in which puppies from these bench-show strains have failed to 
make good workers after careful training by experienced shep- 
herds; but get a pup from a good working strain, and it only needs 
patience and perseverance to make a good dog of him, as he has 
the inherited instinct of a worker. 

As regards the much argued question of color, we would say that 
color has nothing to do with the working qualities of the dog. 
There is a great deal of truth in the old adage, ''A good dog is 
never of a bad color." Of the various breeds of shepherd dogs 
we are prejudiced in favor of the collie, nor do we think it alto- 
gether prejudice, as they are more extensively used than any other 
breed of shepherd dogs, not only in Scotland, where they origi- 
nated, but also in England and Australia, and of late years in this 
country and Canada. In Texas and Mexico, they have a way of 
training dogs with sheep. The pups, when first whelped, or before 
their 6768 are open, are taken from the dam, and put to a sucking 



112 SUGGESTIONS TO STOCKMEN. 

ewe, already deprived of her own lamb. For several days the ewe 
is confined with the pups in the shepherd's hut, and either from 
force, or an instinctive desire to be relieved of the contents of the 
udder, she soon allows the little strangers to suck, and, in the 
course of a few days more, becomes quite reconciled to the change, 
and exhibits a great degree of affection for her foster children, 
who, knowing no other parentage, become thus early engrafted 
into the general community, and return their early kindness by 
every mark of affection and fidelity hereafter ; never being willing 
for a moment to quit their society, but remain with them night 
and day, expressing a peculiar attachment to this particular flock, 
and seeming able to distinguish each member of it from all other 
intruders. He will also bring them home in the evening if you 
feed him regularly at the hour you wish the flock home. 

The South American shepherd's dog becomes accustomed, when 
a puppy, to its future companions. Taken when very young from 
its mother, it is held three or four times a day to a ewe. A nest 
of wool is made for it in the sheep-pen and no dog or children 
allowed to come near. The puppy is castrated generally, so it 
loses, when growing up, any feeling in common with the rest of its 
kind ; thus the flock and dog grow up together and a permanent 
friendship is established. The working shepherd dog should not 
be castrated, or the female splayed, as they become fat and indo- 
lent. If pups from some of the large and fierce breeds, such as 
Siberian wolfhound or staghound, are raised with the sheep in the 
way I have described, no harm can come to the flock from wolves 
or worthless dogs. Most of our breeds of working shepherd dogs 
do not have strong enough jaws to combat successfully with the 
ferocious wolf, and if we engraft a greyhound jaw on them their 
bite would prove a calamity to the sheep. A greyhound jaw was 
meant for killing. 

In conclusion we will say a few words on the subject of sheep 
worrying or killing. This evil is often caused by farmers and 
shepherds allowing the dead lambs and sheep to remain unburied, 
also in butchering sheep in the presence of the dog, who is often 
thrown a piece of the carcass, or is allowed to eat the refuse. From 
this he soon gets a taste for raw meat, and, if there does not hap- 



SUGGESTIONS TO STOCKMEN. 113 

pen to be a dead sheep, he will soon kill one to satisfy his craving. 
This is how our faithful companions learn to destroy the innocent 
creatures they are expected to defend. There was a great deal of 
sheep-worrying in Scotland thirty or forty years ago, but of late 
years shepherds and farmers bury their dead lambs and sheep. 
On the Australian range, it is the shepherd's duty to skin all the 
sheep that die, and burn the carcass, and they are expected to pro- 
duce the pelts at headquarters Various devices have been resorted 
to in order to correct this evil habit in dogs, but with little suc- 
cess, and I think an ounce of prevention is better than a pound of 
cure. 



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Talks" are invaluable^to every man, woman and child. 



SPECIMENS FREE. 



CHEAPEST IN THE WORLD. 



Weekly Orange Judd Farmer, $1.00 a year. 

Address 

Grange Judd Farmer Co. 

chicago, ills. 



